GCAC water park and Toddler Pool Design Reveal

For Isaac Regional Council

The Isaac Region is known and loved for its adventure and stunning beauty; with ancient volcanic peaks, stunning beaches and inland waterways.  Playscape Creations’ concept waterpark design for the Greg Cruickshank Aquatic Centre (GCAC) is a vibrant space, intended to deliver both an exploratory journey for younger children and a user friendly wading pool where families of all ages can cool off!  This facility will attract locals and tourists alike, with its unique design and abundance of play opportunities.

The layered Delta shapes of the splash pad, wading pool entry and pool itself provide a gentle edging and entry to the waterpark experience, paying homage to the tessellations found around outback pools that ebb and flow with the seasonal rains.

Designed to be a tropical oasis in the centre of town, the stunning pastel colours used throughout the aquatic elements and surface treatment designs add a playful and relaxing touch for young and old.  Ensuring all levels of the space are activated, the splashpad features a number of elevated elements, designed to surprise and delight users below.

The Purple Berry Dipper Trees (in Duo and Triple form) feature beautifully formed spherical tipping buckets that fill and tip seemingly at random.  The bright purple berries are a re-imagined representation of the Burdekin Plum (Pleiogynium timorense), a sweet fruit native to the Isaac Region.  At 3.9m high, the curved stainless-steel posts add a beautiful architectural element to the splashpad and encourage users to engage in play across all levels.

Inset within the wading pool entry, Duel 4 Arches and immersive Ohio Rings add an interactive element alongside the water depth.  Integrated ground sprays surrounding the wading pool allow children to interact with the water flows and build their water confidence without having to be fully submerged.

Standing between 1100 and 1500mm high, triple Dude elements have been placed on the perimeter of the splashpad, spraying water onto users below.  Designed to encourage imaginative play, children can see these elements as see monsters, dolphins or birds drinking from the splashpad.  Allowing them to engage and make up their own narrative provides so much value for children as they learn and explore.

Orientation of the waterpark elements has been strategically designed to entice patrons to come and experience the space from the moment they enter the facility.  A number of seating options have been provided, with benches around the perimeter and a beautiful new cantilever shelter place in the north-eastern corner.

Natural hedge screening around the fence line has been introduced to act as a sound buffer and add to the feeling of the tropical oasis, with the aim that the hedge will never go higher than the fence to maintain clear lines of site across the facility.

Activity for All Ages

An active space has been provided for older users with Blaster cannons – epic water cannons with a user directed spray arc.  There are two single Blasters in this space, offering users the ability to move the spray position for maximum competitive soaking!

All water flows have been designed to be gentle enough for toddlers, but engaging enough for children up to 8 years old to want to play.

The feeling of connection is apparent with the use of elevated structural elements and interactive aquatic features at the ground level, along with spaces of quiet for reflection and socialisation, regardless of age or ability.

Surface Treatment

The proposed surface treatment for the splashpad is TuffCoat; a vibrant, easy to use, flexible, water-based non-slip coating.  Created through a unique process of cross-linking urethanes, acrylics, co-polymers and recycled rubber granules, Tuff Coat is available in an unlimited range of colours.

Suitable for outdoor aquatic environments, Tuff Coat non-slip coatings create a long-lasting, excellent traction finish to splashparks, easy to upgrade and re-coat if necessary.

Play Value

While the overall design of this waterpark delivers a stunning interactive aquatic experience that is more than simply the sum of its parts, it is important to consider all the individual elements that go into the synergies of this design.

Included in this Design:

• 2 Purple Berry Dipper Trees with integrated tipping buckets
• 3 Dude Elements
• 1 Duel 4 Element
• 3 Floor Flood water pooling elements
• 5 Crown Jet in-ground water sprays
• 3 Tri-stream Jet in-ground directed water arches
• 2 Immersive Ohio rings creating water curtains
• Twin Water Blaster Cannons for competitive water spray fun
• 2 Interactive Spinners to engage children in the early principles of fluid dynamics
• Entry to the splashpad and equipment circulation has been designed to allow all-abilities access
• 8 Bench Seats
• 2 Picnic Settings
• 1 BBQ
• 1 Cantilever Shelter

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