Tuggeranong Town Park
'Craft your Park' was an initiative of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), in collaboration with the ACT Government Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate to add natural play components to Tuggeranong Town Park Playground. The design team was composed of Harris Hobbs Landscapes, Area Design Consultants, Nicholas Bray Landscapes + Geoff Filmer and Brindabella Contractors. The design consists of 4 sites, each inspired by the local bird species that inhabit the park.
'Plover Space' / Ground dwellers
Intended for toddlers to 3 years, composed of small mound on the lake side of the existing playground. The main space is defined by native grasses such as Lomandra and Scirpus and includes a sand rill with a 'v' shaped channel carved into the log for sand play, ball rolling etc. Rocks are placed to create small enclosures and provide seating, encouraging group play with parents and guardians. Holes are drilled into rocks to provide 'collection' deposits for flowers, rocks and other natural objects.
'Mudlark' Space/ Collectors and defenders
Intended for 3-5 year olds, this space is located in a semi-protected area on the side of the grassy hill beneath the canopy of a large number of tall, mature Casuarina trees. The play space encourages bunker like play and consists of randomly placed rocks and boulders which serve as seating, stepping and jumping blocks. Carved totem poles with pre-drilled holes for inserting found /collected objects, like sticks or grass strands, are scattered around and are the foundations of informal cubbies or screened shelters.
'Cockatoo' Space/ Loud and proud
Intended for 4-8 year olds, this play space is located on the top of the grassy hill that overlooks the entire park. A prominent position for all to see and all to hear, this space has a bit of everything including play items, plantings, totem poles and rocks, which serve as seating and stepping blocks. The play space accommodates a range of play-based activities from the 'stepped log', climbing beam structures to the carved / painted totem poles and the rocks with carved out 'ochre' pots for painting and mixing mud pies or for collecting found objects.
'Magpie' space / Place-makers and songbirds
Intended for 3-8 year olds and located at the base of the hill under the Eucalypt grove, the play space is composed of a mix of rocks / boulders and timber logs in circular and intersecting formations to create a continuous circuit. Holes are drilled into rocks as 'eggcup' collection pockets. Native planting provides flowers and foliage for collection and defines the space, creating pathways between planting clusters for a maze like play experience.