Parks and Play

We design parks and features within them, specialising in creative play spaces and playgrounds. Our spaces are playful, engaging and sutainable. We weave unique stories into the space creating meaningful and playable spaces to help children's imaginations flourish.

An overview of the playground
Modelled on the seasoning sheds, the bespoke huts integrate climbing, a hammock, pole and slide
Designed for challenging climbing and to experience the thrill of the view from above
Hand activated water pump with pulley, channels and dams
Technical drawing for rope pod seats, using rope made in the historic rope works on site
The rope pod seat set on paving with cast ropes and animal prints
playful entrance
playful entrance
balance trail across unused triangle
Chunky boudary seating
Chunky boudary seating
Seating removes need for railings, with view across to upgraded playground
Besopke Climber
Besopke Climber
includes bridging links between old and new
Design development
Design development
initial plans and ideas to bring unused grass triangle and shady tarmac into play
Design development
Design development
early plans for expanding area of playground, removing railings and introducing informal seating
Bug  Wall Ideas
Bug Wall Ideas
idea for infilling unused gate opening and view across park with prospective planting
Playful route
Playful route
New timber bridge, picking up colours of existing metal climber to link with new timber structure
SkeltonAxo
SkeltonAxo
Dry river bed with farm inspired resin insets into timber walls
Double slide and climbing wall on timber tree structure
Border swing and timber tree-house structure with ramp access to double slide and reused twin slides
Traditional Toddler springers on mound overlooking the dry river bed
Border swing
Border swing
dry river bed
dry river bed
wheelchair accessible wobbly bridge
linking to structure and bridge
linking to structure and bridge
View over meadow, our rural idyll
Original masterplan with existing park integrated with new play and adjacent farm
Before and after, view from farm looking towards band of poplars
Entrance Court
Entrance Court
Screen as backdrop with new planting and cycle racks
Screen - circle within the square
Screen - circle within the square
Pensioners workshop created artwork for the back drop and circular pattern inscribed on ground
Boules Court
Boules Court
proved popular with all ages at our opening event
Bespoke Gates
Bespoke Gates
Artwork from community workshops used for gate design, including Margaret's pictured here.
Bespoke Gates
Bespoke Gates
Design work from workshops in local sheltered housing scheme.
Bespoke Paving insets
Bespoke Paving insets
Making the mould for paving slab 'earth', a series themed earth wind water and air
Integrated workshop
Integrated workshop
imprints for paving slab mould
Before and After
Before and After
Transformation from a tarmac wasteland to a new entrance court with space for farmers market and stalls
playable route on the 'groynes'
Presentation Axo
Presentation Axo
Initial design for discussion at local community consultation event
adrift at sea and a place to picnic?
playable trail, route through planting
planting the final bed
the Sea Bass port hole
Overview of site..

Chatham Historic Dockyard: new playground with bespoke equipment inspired by the dockyard beyond. Our play huts are designed with the proportions of the seasoning sheds, with integrated ropes made in the ropesheds. We have hoops with measured properties from the submarine hatches - to practise swinging through. Varying ropes from site are cast into the concrete with animal prints inspired from HMS Ocelot and other dockyard related animals.

Luxmore Gardenscreating a wider play experience by opening up new playable entrances and expanding play offer for older children. Our design devised a new route through a shady unused back of the playground, integrating the new and old. Incorporating reclaimed timbers and stag oak. The organic fencing topped with stag oak and the solid two way seating are designed to integrate with the wider park.


Completed as design and build with APES Ltd

Skeltons Lane Park: our rural idyll in the city. We imagined climbing trees and overlooking the river on a summer's day. Our scheme created a dry river bed with stepping stones, timber structures in the trees, bespoke inclusive equipment, and some catalogue items too. We integrated the new play area into the whole park, set out an entrance square with a shelter (including a bat tower) and  raised the paddock so that the grazing farm animals could be on view.


Bespoke Timber play structures designed and built by Apes at Play Ltd.


WINNER of LGN Street Design Awards 2009

Abbotts Park: inspired by the local history of the priory ground and medieval gardens:  the expanse of tarmac was laid out with four courts, the entrance, the boules court, the table tennis and a seating court. The entrance court is demarcated by box headed limes and the screen with the circle of clouds set in the ground plane.


Art workshops with local pensioners developed the designs for the screen, groundplane and gates. Inset motifs based on earth, air, fire and water  were made by children and inset around trees.

Harrow Road Park:

Our adventure on the high seas. Redesign of playground with integrated access from children's centre. We created a new story with playable routes throughout the site, and the centre piece the Sea Bass, from the Essex Marshes, now ready to board. (Boat and adaptations sourced, designed and installed with APES Ltd).

 

The final planting bed included edible fruit and herbs.