HIGH ON A HILL

Distinctive in design, unparalleled in execution, this community recreation park is a multipurpose masterpiece offering oodles of play value.

In the neverending skirmish fought by developers to distinguish their residential projects in a rapidly expanding market and attract residents to their communities, world-class amenities such as high-quality parks and active open spaces are becoming the field upon which battles are won. The victor in Canberra? Moncrieff Community Recreation Park (MCRP).

As a means of establishing a “sense of place” within new developments, community recreation spaces are a crucial element for emotionally anchoring residents to their new home. This understanding bodes well for potential homeowners as it spurs a drive in developers to create bigger and better spaces that benefit the community and feed public need for quality amenities — a fact evident in the new suburb of Moncrieff in Canberra.

Located approximately 16 kilometres north of the Canberra CBD, Moncrieff is a planned community comprising 2200 dwellings across a mix of single residential houses and medium- and high-density multiunit dwellings. Set within an undulating landscape, the suburb features significant hilltops and ridges as urban landforms that offer striking outlooks. Prominently placed upon ridgelines and hills, the parks, playgrounds and open spaces of the area act as visual beacons for the local community, drawing them into recreation and play.

Commissioned by Suburban Land Agency (SLA), a people-focused developer of residential estates and urban renewal projects in Canberra on behalf of the ACT Government, and outfitted with quality play equipment by KOMPAN, Moncreiff Community Recreation Park delivers something for everyone.

Bursting with play value in the form of a diverse selection of sporting and play activities designed to cater to a wide age demographic and ability aptitudes, MCRP boasts a plethora of junior and senior play elements. Three Corocord rope play towers — two with slippery slides for little daredevils — and a custom Corocord bridge structure span a large section of the playspace. Exercise equipment, ping pong tables, cricket nets, a bike and scooter track, as well as basketball and tennis courts are just some of the amenities on offer at MCRP. Add mountaineering ropes for little climbers, two flat greenspaces for ball games, shaded seating and public barbecue areas and you’ve got yourself one large-scale community gathering space.

Designed by KOMPAN Design Studio (KDS) with the fundamental objective to “inspire the community to get out and get moving”, and based on a design philosophy founded on the life and legacy of Australia’s Queen of Song, Gladys Moncrieff, MCRP features vibrant sunset colours and soaring structures. While the linear geometric lines of the playspace draw on the simplistic and poetically powerful sculptural assemblages of Rosalie Gascoigne, according to landscape architects on the project Redbox Design Group.

A custom project, KDS focused on creating innovative play structures and open space solutions tailored to meet the specific requirements of the project. Utilising the engineers, designers and architects that comprise the KDS unit, the team were able to provide structurally sound play units that provide high play value to the Moncrieff community. In fact, MCRP was such a success it took out top honours at the 2018 AILA ACT Awards in the Play Space category, proving a winner for everyone.

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PROJECT PARTICULARS
Client Suburban Land Agency
Location Moncrieff, Canberra
Playground Equipment KOMPAN
Landscape Architect Redbox Design Group
Playground Consultant & Install Play By Design