—
While working on the 14th floor of a construction site in Pittsburgh, Rob Crynock of Vinco took notice of the nearby PPG building and had an idea.
“I was looking at the architecture and it almost looks like a castle,” Crynock said.
That was the inspiration he needed to begin a project that took nearly three years to complete – an elaborate playground for his daughter.
Crynock’s wife, Lisa, was pregnant with their first child and the construction worker wanted to do something special for his daughter.
“Everybody is born with a gift,” he said. “My gift, I think, is being a construction worker – the skills, the knowledge that I have.”
So, on Memorial Day 2009, Crynock started his project in the backyard of his Gillen Lane home.
Except for a few finishing touches, the project is finally complete.
“It’s not your average tree house,” Crynock said.
He’s not exaggerating.
The playground is centered around an octagon-shaped castle made of stone.
The castle is more than
14 feet tall. Inside it is constructed of knotty pine, tongue-in-groove walls.
There are two windows, electric lights and an electric fireplace. The floor, while a man-made imitation, looks like hardwood.
Crynock, who has been a construction worker for 19 years, did the work himself, “except for the rubber roof,” he said.
The playground also features two swings, a climbing rope, a rock-climbing wall, a slide and a tunnel made from an 8-foot tire.
The construction worker is pleased with how his creation turned out.
“I’m proud of it,” he said.
“I accomplished what I set out to accomplish. I didn’t even have a blueprint.”
His wife said she appreciates having such a creative husband.
“All I asked for was a swing set,” she said with a laugh.
“But when it comes to our daughter, he gives 110 percent.”
Although the couple’s daughter, Avery, is only 2, she already is enjoying her elaborate playground.
“You ought to see her go up that rock wall,” Crynock said.
“She gets around.”
The new father hopes his daughter gets more than enjoyment from the playground.
“I want her to see that she too can accomplish whatever she sets her mind to accomplish,” Crynock said.
The proud father said building a castle for his daughter was appropriate.
“She’s basically my princess,” he said.
“I wanted to give her something from my heart, and that’s what it was,” Crynock said.
“My gift.”
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