CUSTOM PLAY ELEMENTS WITH A NATURAL TIMBER AESTHETIC

The newly upgraded Apex Park is a significant regional playspace that provides fun and engaging play experiences to children and families in the Wangaratta region. adventure+ worked closely with landscape architect Justin Staggard to develop the key play elements in this space including a play tower that replicates an old tree stump.

TREE STUMP PLAY TOWER

The main feature of the playground is a large play tower that was designed, manufactured and installed by adventure+. The team also created other pieces of equipment such as a comet spinner, gyro swing and more!

Considering the importance of the central tower piece to the playspace, the adventure+ team focused a large portion of design time and effort on making sure that it stood out and fulfilled the vision of the landscape architect.

The brief for the tower was to look like an old tree stump. This was achieved by using natural timbers with a natural colour scheme plus small lookout windows, which replicated holes in the tree trunk. The lookout windows provide a great viewing opportunity for children as they navigate the six-metre-high tower to the large tunnel slide exiting from the most elevated platform. The brilliance of this structure lies in its natural timber aesthetics and boundless play potential for children. The team of designers also considered access for adults should they need to help the children or if they wish to enjoy the great views of the play space for themselves.

MODULAR TOWER CONSTRUCTION

While the tower may look bespoke, it uses a standard modular system with customised elements. This process, typical to most adventure+ projects, avoids an unnecessarily complex design and provides clients better value for money through reduced design time and installation time.

All equipment supplied was designed and manufactured in Australia, giving many benefits to clients, including shorter delivery time, cost savings, readily available spare parts and support to local industry.

The landscape architect, the council and most importantly, the community are thrilled with the outcome. The park now features a range of play activities surrounded by beautiful landscaping and facilities, making it the perfect destination for families in the Wangaratta region.