Fitzroy North, City of Yarra, 2010

The Edinburgh Gardens Southern Playground adopts a unique inclusive play program, allowing parents and children to play and learn together. The previous playground was over 30 years old and in dire need of an upgrade. Yarra City Council committed funding to replace the playground and employed Dan Nunan as a dedicated in-house team member to develop the design and oversee the implementation.

The playground follows the concept of ‘nature play’. Materials, plants and textures take precedence over traditional playground elements. Customised chalkboard panels, recycled bluestone features and a bespoke timber shelter all make this playground a one-off play experience. A large variety of play features are situated around a central circular gathering space whilst a rock-lined swale feeds all the site water into a naturalized rain garden. Feedback from the parents and wider community has been overwhelmingly positive with the best feedback coming from the kids themselves who “don’t want to go home”.