Playground Design

Course Code	BHT216
Fee Code	S2
Number of Assignments	8
Duration (approx)	100 hours

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are eight lessons in this unit as follows:

1.  Overview of Parks & Playgrounds

2.  Playground Philosophy

3.  Preparing a Concept Plan

4.  Materials

5.  Park & Playground Structures and Materials

6.  Local and Neighbourhood Parks

7.  Community Participation In Park Development

8.  Special Assignment.

AIMS

•  Determine the procedure to plan a park development, including a playground and other facilities.
•  Prepare a concept plan for a park or playground.
•  Assess the design of park components, including materials and equipment used in parks and playgrounds.
•  Determine appropriate design characteristics for a local or neighbourhood parks.
•  Determine legal implications involved in the design of a playground.
•  Design facilities to cater for movement throughout a park or playground.
•  Manage appropriate community participation in development of a park or playground.

 

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

Here are just some of the things you will be doing:

- Explain how an understanding of play theory can be applied to the design of a playground.

- Explain how the concept of recreational planning may influence the design of a specified park.

- Determine factors which distinguish park design from home garden design.

- Compare different planning processes used for developing designs for public landscapes, including: advocacy planning, strategic planning and community participation.

- Explain historical influences upon park design, in your locality, including: *local history  *national history.

- Evaluate the functional depreciation of a specified playground over a period of at least ten years.

- Explain the significance of demographic considerations on park design, in a specific locality.

- Evaluate the designs of two different established parks, and two established playgrounds, visited by you.

- Develop a brief for a park plan, through an interview with management of a specific site.

- Collect preplanning information for a proposed park design; through surveying the site and interviewing both managers of the site, and intended users of the site.

- Develop three alternative concept plans for a proposed park development; in accordance with a real design brief, either prepared by you with a client, or obtained as a brief for a job being put to tender.

- Compare three alternative concept plans in an interview with a client, or prospective client, for a proposed park development; recording the interview session on audio tape.

- Describe the design features of four different items of outdoor furniture intended for use in parks and playgrounds.

- Compare the suitability of different barriers, including bollards, fences, plantings and walls, used in three different parks and/or playgrounds; visited and inspected by you.

- Assess the design of garden constructions inspected by you in a childrens playground.

- Compare various ground surfacing materials in terms of their application in park or playground design.

- Explain design considerations for earth forming, in a specific park and playground.

- Design a park plan for a specified site of 1,000 to 10,000 square metres, incorporating a themed play area.

- Prepare a costing for the construction of a themed play area, designed by you.

- Compare the appropriateness of fifteen different plants for use in a playground in terms of different factors including: -play possibilities        -hardiness         -toxicity.

- Determine appropriate design criteria for the use of water in playgrounds.

- Determine appropriate functions for neighbourhood parks.

- Determine inappropriate functions for a neighbourhood park.

- Analyse two neighbourhood parks by both; surveying users and observing users.

- Evaluate the design of two different neighbourhood parks, visited and studied by you, against different criteria including: *Function  *Aesthetics  *Maintenance requirement *Environmental sympathy.

- Recommend design modifications for a surveyed neighbourhood park.

- Explain the significance of danger to the childrens learning experience.

- Determine how two different specific playground designs have been influenced by concerns about legal liability.

- Conduct a legal risk analysis of a playground which has been established for more than ten years.

- Develop guidelines for minimising legal liability in playground design, for an authority responsible for a specific playground.

- Determine design criteria for different types of trails in parks including: *Fun and fitness trails  *Environmental interpretation trails *Cycle paths *Linkages between parks *Roadways.

- Compare the construction of three different specified paths within parks with reference to: *Durability  *Safety *Function   *Maintenance requirements.           

- Prepare a concept plan for a "specialist trail" in a park, such as; a fun and fitness trail, a cycle path or an environmental interpretation trail, following design standards in the industry.

- Determine factors which impact on the success of a park/playground development which involves community participation.

- Analyse community attitudes to a park or playground development, which has used community participation, by  either:  * survey  * discussion with local Parks Department management.

- Explain how to promote community involvement in park development in a way which will optimise the chance of success.

- Determine a procedure to involve a community in the development of a park/playground facility, on a site visited by you.

This course emphasises the design and construction of playgrounds and small community parks. A seven lesson course of approx. 100 hrs study This is a valuable course for parks managers or landscape designers. It includes playground philosophy, design of play structures (for function & safety), materials selection, community participation and park design.

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