City of Darebin is pleased to release the final equipment designs for DR Atkinson Reserve Reservoir playspace upgrade.
The play equipment was designed in collaboration with Reservoir Views primary school grade 5/6 art class, local Reservoir artists Ju-Yuen Chew and Sarah Johansen and Arterial Design consultants. The primary school students created fantastical playspace atworks which have directly inspired the unique play equipment, intended for the whole community to enjoy. The play equipment features include Seed Pod towers with slides, scrambling nets and rope tunnels, Branches with climbing nets, an infant swing and accessible swing, Forest Trunks with spider webs and rope climbing, and Gumnuts for hide and seek play with balancing beams. This collaborative project will result a uniquely imaginative, artistic, exciting and creative playspace, directly inspired by local children.
This project delivers on Council's commitment to improving your parks and creating exciting, new playspaces in consultation with local children.
What Happens Next?
Council will open this website to hear your thoughts on the draft landscape concept in early 2020. Please register to stay informed!
Following the landscape concept consultation phase, a final landscape concept will be released to the community. The project will then enter construction procurement phase, with construction of play equipment and playspace implementation to be staged over future years.
What Has Happened So Far?
In December 2018, Council held a family fun day at DR Atkinson Reserve to kick-start the conversation with the community about how to improve this playspace. Thank you to all of the families and community members who attended and shared ideas. Over 170 people attended on the day and the feedback collected, including brilliant drawings by local children, helped to shape the concept design. We hope you had a wonderful time enjoying the creative workshop with Philip the Bat, circus performances and bike and blend smoothies. An online survey was available from 15 December-2018 to 29 January-2019 for the community to provide their feedback and ideas for park and playspace improvements.
Reservoir Views Primary School Art Class Collaboration
In February 2019, Council collaborated with Reservoir Views Primary School grade 5/6 art class and local artists Ju-Yuen Chew and Sarah Johansen, to create artworks that would inform the play equipment designs. The art classes ran over four workshops and were focused on broader Council themes of the environment, biodiversity, habitat and sustainability. The art students created fantastical, model-sized playspace artworks that were used to inform the detailed design phase.
The students artwork can be viewed by clicking on the images below:
Following completion of the art class, council engaged Arterial Design consultants to prepare the detailed design of the play equipment, directly inspired by the student's artwork. Concept designs for the play equipment designs were released to the community for comment in May 2019, View the Concept equipment designs here. Following the May 2019 consultation, the feedback received was considered as part of finalising the play equipment design and progressing the landscape concept design.
About this Project
Council is upgrading the DR Atkinson Reserve playspace as part of the Darebin Playspace Strategy 2010-2020 and Council's commitment to improving six playgrounds a year in consultation with children. The design will be completed this year and construction will commence in future years.
The upgrade will include the following possible improvements:
- Bespoke play structures and elements designed by local children, with a range of activities for all ages.
- Improved amenities and landscaping including new furniture and tree plantings for shading.
- Removal of outdated play equipment.
This project seeks to empower the children of our community through artistic expression and place-making opportunities. Council thank the children of Darebin for your inspiration and creativity, including the students of Reservoir Views PS and families who attended the community day at DR Atkinson Reserve in December 2018.
Location of Playspace
DR Atkinson Reserve is located in east Reservoir and can be accessed from Argyle Street and Atkinson Place. The Reserve includes the playspace near to Argyle Street which will be expanded as part of this upgrade. There is also a sports field and pavilion used by Grid Iron teams.
