Requirement

Theories Landscapes was approached by Osmani Primary School in London’s E1 with a unique task involving its play area.

While this large space was already actively used by the children, it was primarily just sport pitches, murals and games like hopscotch painted on tarmac.

The school wanted additional play elements to encourage more interaction and play in the area. It also wanted parts of this playground be delineated, allowing distinct play zones to be created.

A redesign of the whole area was the best way forward.

Work undertaken

The new design allowed for a large decked area, more play / climbing equipment, some safety surfacing at the foot of a new slide, a bark play area, planters, bespoke waney-edge fencing to divide the areas, and new covered play areas - radically different from the simple tarmac playground it will replace.

Not all of the old playground was replaced, as Theories was able to carry out maintenance to some of the existing structures, replacing some of the timber and cleaning all areas.

Panels and fencing were painted, adding creative colour.

Site period

The school wanted the work done over half term, with hard start and finish dates. This meant Theories had unrestricted access to the entire play area and could set up a work area and build some of the equipment on site.

While there were no children, there were several other trades working in the school who all had to share the car park for parking and skips, and access to the site.

Project challenges

As Theories began dismantling some of the existing timber structures and seating, it discovered that a larger amount of timber needed replacing than initially anticipated, primarily to comply with health and safety regulations.

This process also entailed the removal of substantial amounts of timber walling that had been concreted in place, requiring the resultant holes and gaps to be infilled with concrete. This resulted in a somewhat patchwork appearance in the finished area – a cosmetic issue Theories hopes to rectify in future improvements.

Given the logistical challenges with deliveries at this location, the company adopted a hands-on approach, personally collecting the required materials and transporting them to the site, ensuring smooth progress despite the constraints.

Outcome

What was a bland, largely tarmacked play area has been transformed into a colourful, exciting and functional play area. With separate areas for children, more recreational play equipment, climbing equipment, bench seating, safety surfaces and planting.

The use of natural wood is a theme running throughout the play area and the separate areas were created using wood fencing. Wood was the material for the benches, raised beds and recreational equipment.

The result is a natural, and attractive play area that will be strong, durable and resilient.