Innovation by Design

Playscape Creations Process – Building Wonderful Playgrounds

Our motto has always been “Building better play environments”, which has lost none of it’s potency over the years, in fact it has become our point of difference, as that’s exactly what we do.

Playscape Creations has a team of specialists for your needs. The process starts with your initial enquiry to our office where a member of our friendly Sales Team will discuss your needs, desired outcome & budget. By following our 8 steps together we can BUILD YOUR DREAM.

STEP 1 – DEFINE YOUR OBJECTIVES….

A great playground plan provides maximum play value and safety for the kids of your community, while limiting your risks and maintenance costs. Your answers to the following questions will help focus your decisions for this playground project:

Goals: Why are you planning/updating your playground? What do you hope to accomplish? In addition to providing a playspace, what philosophical objectives do you have? Fostering community involvement? Demonstrating environmental responsibility? Creating an environment within a theme? Building a highly inclusive/accessible playground?

Budget: How much can you afford to spend? Are you limited to a specific amount, or will you be able to add to an initial amount through fundraising activities? What does your budget cover? The cost of the equipment only, or must it also include site preparation, freight charges, protective surfacing, installation, etc.?

Timeframe: What is the timeframe for the project? Do you have a deadline for completing the playground?(This may be a good time to set up a tentative schedule for planning, review, equipment purchase, site preparation and installation.)

STEP 2 – ASSESS YOU NEEDS

Once you’ve established your objectives, it’s time to focus on the details. Our playground design process includes a form, “Planning Your Playground,” that asks specific questions about your playground project. You can find this form on our Contact Us Page from our website or from your Playscape Creations representative.

Overall budget
Number of children
Age distribution
Size and budget of area for each age group
Target dates
Specific equipment requests
Special uses or needs
Approvals required
Plans for existing equipment, if any
Number of phases, if any

STEP 3 – ANALYZE YOUR SITE

No two sites are identical; the characteristics of your site, including both natural and man-made
elements, can have a strong influence on your playground’s design. A thorough site analysis, conducted
with the help of a professional, will contribute to a more economical installation, greater user satisfaction,
better aesthetics and lower maintenance costs. Once you have received any relevant information and had time to review such, a Sales representative will visit you on site to get a feel for the environment and discuss their thoughts of how a fantastic Playscape Creations design could enhance your location. On arrival at your site consideration will be noted to account for important criteria such as traffic flow, seating, access, shade, aspect as well as other structures that may already be in place.

NATURAL ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER: NATURAL ELEMENTS

Topography: The slope or topography of your site is the most critical element you’ll need to consider. Even a site that looks level may have significant elevation changes that will affect drainage, and it is important that surface water drains away from your playground.

Soil: Soil conditions will influence the stability and drainage of your playground. It pays to understand
the four basic soil types: sandy, clay, loam and peat, or “high organic matter” soils.

At your site, soil acidity, stability and drainage may put special demands on equipment. A landscape architect or a Landscape Structures representative can provide guidance on soil-related
issues and drainage.

Vegetation: Existing vegetation can enhance the perimeter of a play area by providing shade and a more aesthetically pleasing environment. Yet certain varieties of trees and shrubs may be less desirable than others because of falling fruit, thorns, poisonous leaves, or low resistance to construction stresses and transplanting. Consulting a landscape architect or nursery before you plant can be very helpful.

Climate and natural forces: Prevailing winds, temperature norms, seasonal sun angles, and precipitation can affect the orientation and life-span of your play equipment and should be considered when deciding on the orientation of your equipment. Also keep in mind that flood-prone sites will increase maintenance costs while limiting “playable” days.

MAN MADE ELEMENTS:

Utilities: It’s easy to avoid building your playground under power and telephone lines. Buried utilities may not be so obvious. Check with your city’s engineering department for water and sewer locations.

Circulation and access: When selecting a site and laying out your play area, we recommend you give careful thought to parking, ease of access, pedestrian and bicycle paths, site furnishings and rest rooms. Also consider providing adequate security in the form of emergency telephones, ease of adult supervision and visibility from the street.

STEP 4 – SELECT YOUR EQUIPMENT:

Many factors weigh into a play equipment selection. Various equipment styles, manufacturing materials, quality and safety features differentiate your selection possibilities. Also it is recommended separate play areas for preschoolers from ages 2 to 5 and school-age children between ages 5 and 12. As a rule of thumb, 40 percent of your equipment budget and space should be allocated to preschoolers and 60 percent to school-age children. We recommend you adjust this ratio depending on the mix of ages using your playground.

Most play equipment falls into one of two types.

COMPOSITE PLAYSTRUCTURES

These connected play structures offer a wide variety of active and social play challenges. A well-designed structure can accommodate a large number of children in a relatively small area.

INDEPENDENT PLAY EVENTS

Swings, climbers and spring riders are typical of independent play events, which should be located a safe distance away from a composite structure. The best play areas offer both types of equipment to satisfy the needs of a greater range of users.

PLAY ACTIVITIES

When selecting specific events, we recommend you consider:

Developmental benefits
Variety
Liability issues
Age-appropriateness
Cost
Inclusive play (accessibility)

AESTHETICS

Do you want playground equipment that blends into its surroundings, or do you prefer a structure that makes
a bold statement? What shapes will look best on your playground?

MATERIALS

Consider the materials used in the equipment you are contemplating. For example, wood has a natural look. Some steel products rust quickly in damp or salty areas, making aluminium or stainless steel a better choice for structural parts. Vinyl-coated metals offer users protection against temperature extremes. And plastic parts should be made of high-quality resins with additives to prevent colour fading and UV-degradation.

ACCESSIBILITY

The guidelines for accessible play areas require looking at play areas as a collection of individual play components to determine the minimum amount required to be accessible. Minimum requirements are based on the number of ground level and elevated play components provided. More complete information on inclusive and adaptive play can be found on our website, or by contacting your Playscape Creations representative.

OTHER ISSUES

When making a final purchase decision, consider these important points:

Ease of installation (and availability of professional installers, when needed)
Follow-up support services available from the representative
Durability of materials
Manufacturer’s playground-specific maintenance & safety program
Manufacturer’s warranty
Cost of ownership over the life of your equipment
Manufacturing and delivery time

STEP 5 – SELECT YOUR SURFACING

There are a number of options available to you for surfacing and are dependant on your Budget and your aesthetic requirements for your playground

SURFACING OPTIONS

“Loose-fill” material with a retaining edger is one option. Engineered wood fibre, sand, pea gravel, rubber products and other bulk materials are the least expensive and easiest to install, but they do require more maintenance to meet and comply with the Australian Standards
Poured-in-place rubber soft fall surfaces are available in a wide variety of colours and shapes. Playscape Creations offers a range of options called Rubbertech – Surfacing solutions. These surfaces are usually more expensive but are extremely durable and require significantly less maintenance than other surfacing options. Ask your Sales representative for your best option for your project

STEP 6 – PREPARING YOUR PLAN

Once you’ve made critical decisions on your site and equipment, it’s time to formalize your plans so you can
move ahead to installation. Back at the office our team of specialists will work together based on your site Analysis to ensure the design and structure will fit with the landscape and your site specifications, as well as fulfill all of your desires to create a unique and satisfying playscape. We will assist with the following process

SCALE DRAWINGS

Our design department can provide you with a scale drawing that shows site boundaries, dimensions, orientation, overall improvements and site details of the playground area.

SPECIFICATIONS

It is important to create a written specification of the materials that are to be used in your playground, compliance with regulations and industry standards, the engineering details of your play activities and safety features.

COSTS

Using your budget as a starting point, create a detailed breakdown of planned expenditures for your site, equipment, installation and future maintenance.

FINAL STEPS

Before you sign a purchase order, you’ll need to carefully review the design specifications prior to finalaistion of plans. The final decision on what to buy and where to buy should come from the person or committee that has been most involved in the planning process and is ultimately responsible for the playground’s success.

Playground equipment is like most other products— you get what you pay for. Selecting the lowest price
will often not give you the best value.

STEP 7 – INSTALL YOUR PLAYGROUND

On receiving your order our Production Coordinator will contact you to notify you of the expected date of construction and discuss any site related issues that may be relevant. You will again be contacted just prior to installation to ensure your site is ready.

Our qualified Build Team will arrive on site being clearly identifiable with their crisp Playscape Creations uniforms, vehicles and equipment. They are keen to please & will work with minimal amount of interruption to your infrastructure. If your site is in a public place, site fencing will be erected to ensure public safety and where deemed necessary Site Security will protect the site whilst setting and curing processes are in progress.
During the installation process our Site Manager will keep in constant contact with you to let you know their progress and any issues that may arise will be discussed and rectified immediately.

As easy as they arrived, our Build Team will disappear on completion of works, leaving your site fresh and clean, ready for fun.

At completion of your spectacular new Playground a formal handover meeting will be required whereby yourself, or your site manager, will be instructed on long term care of the project as well as your operational responsibilities. A documented Playground Safety Management System is provided outlining all inspection criteria, making your ownership as simple as it is meant to be.

STEP 8 – MAINTAING YOUR PLAYGROUND

It’s hard to think about inspections and repairs when you haven’t yet built your new playground. Still, industry estimates blame poor maintenance for at least one-third of all playground injuries—which means that early maintenance planning can minimize pain, suffering and lawsuits over the long haul.

KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER

Budget time and money for safety surface maintenance.
The frequency of maintenance may vary depending on usage, but all materials require it.
Prioritize your repairs list with those most serious at the top.
Schedule inspections using detailed checklists from the manufacturer.
Maintenance and replacement parts are easily accessible through our after sales service department.
Playscape Creations offers a 3 year extended warranty and service program ( Queensland territory only) and can be included as part of your quote

Last but not least, throw a grand opening party to help children and adults celebrate their new playground.