A WILDLY FUN TIME

A fun and inclusive playspace that celebrates the protection of the Australian natural bush and local wildlife, wonguim wilam playground is a testament to the skills of the design team at Urbania. Set in the picturesque locale of Warrandyte River Reserve in the City of Manningham region, Victoria, wonguim wilam has become one of the area’s most popular parks and a major tourist destination.

Utilising custom-designed nature-play equipment from Richter Spielgeräte, the playspace has a strong focus on safety, stability, environmental friendliness and play value. Handcrafted from sustainably sourced timber, the uncoated, unvarnished and unpainted timber used to construct Wonguim Wilam showcases a warm a beautiful materiality that complements and blends with the bushland setting.

Supplied, designed, constructed and installed by play specialists Urbania, this playground is based on a canopy climb theme. Taking cues from the existing elevated fauna crossing that runs through Warrandyte and provides critical access for local wildlife to cross roads and urban infrastructure, Urbania designed a bespoke play environment that would encourage children to be the local wildlife. By climbing up ropes and nets into elevated nesting boxes that will give them a view of the treetops, children would be able to identify with their natural surroundings in a unique way.

Substantial timbers form the posts of the nesting boxes that dot the climbing course and represent the mature trees in the surrounding landscape. Charming and unique, the bespoke design is suitable for children from ages three to 12, ensuring everyone has multiple opportunities for social and collaborative play. A tall tube slide with a variety of climbing and rope connections and large cubbies give big kids a boost up into the higher reaches of the play zone.

For junior adventurers, cubbies and slides a little closer to the ground provide all the fun without the excess height, just as swings for toddlers, an all-ability basket swing and inclusive spinner suitable for wheelchair users make sure kids of all needs are catered for.

From the elevated lookout points of the highest cubbies to the climbing and scrambling opportunities provided by rope elements or the simple fun of a long, winding slide, wonguim wilam is a playspace that offers incremental challenges for a range of ages and abilities that has proved a big hit with the local community.

PROJECT PARTICULARS
Client City of Manningham
Location Warrandyte, Victoria
Landscape Architect Playce
Landscape Contractor Programmeds
Playspace Design and Install Urbania