Playground design for Melbourne's Lincoln Square
Overview
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​Introduction
This is a cooperative project between RMIT University and City of Melbourne. Because of an increasing population and growth in apartment living, more and more children are now growing up in houses without access to private open space and are relying on public open space to fulfil basic developmental needs. Therefore, Lincoln Square, one of Melbourne’s oldest parks and home to the first public playground in Victoria, is required updating its playground to meet current children’s playing needs.
Our goal is to update playground and integrate it with surrounding context, so that we can enhance interaction among stakeholders and encourage children’s mental, physical and social development.
Client
City of Melbourne
My Contribution
My strength is fabrication knowledge and computer-aid analysis. Because the main technology association in this project is a 3d-scanned point-cloud, my software skill helped a lot when we analyse the complex data from the real site to seek design opportunity. Based on the zoning from my team members, I contribute the modular idea for final concept and we developed it together as per my fabrication knowledge.
Team Members
Mengru Zheng
Shu-Hsien Tan
Robbie Broadstock
Context Analysis
Dimension & Accessibility
​Sensory Experience
Climate Analysis
To enhance sensory experience we need to integrate thermal comfort adjustment and light intervention into our space, so we used ladybug in grasshopper to analyse sunlight direction, temperature and humidity in an absolute comfort period to decide locations of light intervention, and thermal adjustment requirement.
User Observation
We did user observation and face-to-face interviews at site, to design with current users’ preferences and site conditions, aiming to achieve expected outcomes. According to their responses, the pros of Lincoln Square include shades, big trees and accessibility.
However, there are also some cons:
1. Lack of public amenities: drinking fountain, tables, seats and so on
2. Old and limited playground equipment
3. Vehicles nearby (safety issues)
4. Small space for running
5. It is hot during summer
They also gave us some impressive suggestions:
1. Uneven surfaces for climbing
2. Different heights play-space
3. More tables & seating areas, so that people could spend a longer time
4. Integrate cooling elements: water features / mist
Tree Analysis
Designing a play-space integrating with the existing fig trees is the main key in this project. Therefore, understanding each tree features and its opportunities and limitations for design intervention is crucial before zoning the space. In this stage we gathered 3-dimensional data of the site by using 3d canner, and then we analyse point cloud to seek design opportunities integrating fig trees.
The Moreton Bay Fig trees branches and buttress roots already have playful forms that invite engagement. Based on site observation, children are more likely to climb the tree01 and tree02 as they have spread-out branches. Hence, the design will not interfere the existing play but enhances the experience with higher-level intervention where children could also engage with trees at canopy level.
While the other trees with lower twigs and leaves touching ground would be plan for younger children to engage and “shelter” the carers.
​Zoning
As an advantage, the playground currently sits on a slope, so we integrated age groups, activities and height of the slope during zoning plan.
​Concept
As per site observation, children like to climb the trees as they have the playful forms that invite engagement. Hence, to integrate our design with the nature language, we mimic the playful form of tree trunks with modular components as an echo of the surrounding context, and enhance the play experience with the existing trees.
The structure of the overall play space mimics the tree’s structure. The idea is referring the language of strong and heavy trunk base as main base structure and the light foliage as higher structure or sub-structure.
Modular Component Iteration
Imagination Inspiring
Imagination inspiring is important in terms of children’s basic developmental need. Our modular component should provide educational possibility of creativity, imagination games and fantasy play.
Growable Skin
Considering further development of planning strategy, simple modular component should provide growable opportunity, so that it can be built into complex structure step by step, to meet further user needs, and can create dynamic experience.
Flexibility Testing
Functional Equipment
By repeating basic modular component, we explored how could a modular shape create different forms for basic function – dynamic play, for a playground. Even though topography of the site is complex, we still can integrate function and form in a same language for Lincoln Square.
Potential Amenity
Based on previous analysis, lack of amenity is a key issue for current Lincoln Square. Using same design language, we still need to ensure potential probability for combining playground equipment and gathering space together.
Final Solution
Proposed Plants
These are plants that should be well adapted to the climate in Lincoln Square and are native to Victoria’s environment. If the goal of the site is to educate and inspire knowledge about the local area and specific natural elements on site these plants represent an ideal palette. They are also selected based on how appropriate they are for a children’s garden being soft, small, and visually enticing for young people. They should grow well under the Moreton Bay Figs shade (especially the ferns, provided they are watered) and the surroundings outside of the tree protection zone.
Against Entrapment Hazard
There are three types of modular components’ parameters, which apply to different kind of activities, heights and age groups. Our modular component should ensure safety while playing. Therefore we have several options for suspension to reduce the harm due to unexpected incidents like branches falling off from the trees.
Experience – Day & Night
Currently there is dark in the evening in Lincoln Square, so we considered about how can we create different experience between day and night.
Integrating with current design language, we can use LED panel or LED tube to provide lighting experience. LED panel is suitable for brightening an area and providing an identity in the night, while LED tube is suitable for decorating atmosphere.