Established in 1888 Moonee Ponds West Primary School is a well established government run primary school located in Melbourne’s inner western suburbs. Working closely with the school and the appointed Architect’s, BSPN, RDLA joined the design team to assist with a series of grounds upgrades across the campus in concert with significant internal building refurbishments.
The landscape works comprise 2 key sites. The first space was a central courtyard space flanked by heritage brick buildings and 2 large Peppercorn Trees and an existing library. The site was made available for a landscape upgrade by the removal of aging modular buildings. The forecourt space is the main entrance in to the school and the brief was to create a new key play ground and circulation space, reconnecting key building entries and retaining the large trees.
The design of the play component has responded to the proposed “Curiosity Centre” concept flagged in the masterplan which is part of the existing library building internal upgrades. The landscape scheme has referenced the life cycle of a locally indigenous butterfly species, the Painted Lady, which has been reinterpreted through the theming, selection and arrangement of equipment, materials, planting and the colour scheme.
The design includes a significant multi faceted play space which features coloured soft fall play areas, complex multi function/multi age climbing equipment, balancing elements, seating and grassed mounds. On the south side of the courtyard a new raised decked space is proposed to resolve the level transition around the 2 no. existing large Peppercorn Trees. The proposed deck area also upgrades the entry treatment into the refurbished Learning Community building and features areas for casual seating and gathering, wide steps fronting onto the forecourt and a DDA compliant ramp.
A series of new steps, garden beds and a landing is proposed at the western end of the courtyard to activate and connect to the Curiosity Hub building and the proposed doors. The scheme also includes perimeter seating, garden beds and native planting which are protected from foot traffic by edge treatments and long seating walls.
The second space was previously a dilapidated play area, run down, overgrown and largely inaccessible to the students but featuring a number of mature existing native trees. The brief was to convert this space into a functional nature and activity play space with significant new play equipment while maintaining the natural landscape character afforded by the trees and topography.
The design utlises the existing general structure and topography of the mounded area and further enhance it with additional grading and rock works and the removal of some of the existing vegetation to improve visibility and site surveillance. New boundary garden beds are proposed to provide separation from the fence line and a vegetated backdrop to the play space.
The scheme has considered the existing trees in this area which are numerous and varying quality and these have been carefully retained within the existing site levels. The retention of the existing trees has made an enormous "instant" contribution to the playground providing much needed shade but also adding to the natural “woodland” setting creating an engaging landscape for the students to explore.
The nature play space includes slides, rock terracing, a “dry creek bed”, areas of rubber soft-fall, sensory panels, rope climbing equipment, shade sails, a “tree house” element and other scattered logs and natural features.
Inclusive design principles have also been considered across both spaces, ensuring appropriate on grade access.
RDLA prepared initial schematic design drawings through to detailed documentation for tender and construction. Our team also attended consultation and engagement workshops with the school, Architects, Project Managers, VSBA and the Local Indigenous Representatives through the design process.
