Awards: WINNER of 2018 Kidsafe National Playspace Design Awards in category

PUBLIC SPACES under $1 million

The Carss Bush Park playspace is a regional scale, all-abilities playground on the foreshores of Kogarah Bay.We took inspiration from its’ bushland setting and introduced a number of custom-made elements. These included a ‘micro bat’, beautifully crafted from salvaged,Australian hardwood. The Bat is indigenous to the local bushland so has a special connection to the site. 'Termite' mounds, complete with baby termites, lie in the sandpit while a giant snake suns itself across a path.We worked closely with the team of Georges River Council.The existing, outdated ramp was cleverly adapted into a usable play structure-a meeting place with a central podium and a tower with a rope bridge extension culminating into a fire pole. The ramp is loved by scooters as well. Older Children can explore the more challenging ‘Explorer Dome’, a double flying fox and large tube slide. Various accessible elements complete the much-loved playspace. Our efforts and enthusiasm with which we approached the design of this playspace was rewarded by Kid safe and in 2018 project was awarded a winning price in the category Public Spaces.

In all our playground projects we like to come up with ideas that are site specific and unique to particular project. In this case we concentrated on local fauna and explored idea of a climbing bat structure that would resemble the local micro bat complete with wings and ears.We worked with the artist Andrew Smith from the concepts through to prefabrication and installation. This wonderful multipurpose structure promotes gross motor skills, physical strength and overall social abilities of younger children. It includes a slide at the front and a cattle ramp at rear (tail), and offers climbing opportunities that are non-threatening. Older children can explore the ‘Explorer Dome’, a higher and more challenging rope structure nearby.

A suite of natural timber elements was created to compliment the bat: a climbing log with foot holds and a thick balance rope, a fireman’s pole to a “wobbly” rope bridge to the central stage, a centrepiece that was recycled from the existing dysfunctional ramp. The matching musical ‘ufonium’ that mimics bats sounds was also added, crafted from stainless steel. A giant ‘snake’, inspired by a local python snake, that we have weaving through sand with tactile diamond shaped rings.