Bringing community together through play

Children playing on a playground in a public space

The Arc Climbing Academy Project:
Playground for Public Spaces & Parks.

In response to the Chippenham Borough Lands Charity’s vision, TouchWood embarked on an exciting project: creating a playground for public spaces and parks. Specifically, we were tasked with transforming an open-access parkland adjacent to The Arc Climbing Academy into a captivating play area. The challenge was clear, to craft a space that not only catered to a diverse age range, from 2 to 12 years old, but also harmonised with the climbing centre, offering a place for siblings or children of parents using the facility, using quality playground equipment.

Designing a Bespoke Public Space Playground.

At The Arc, the café features a decked seating area elevated 1.5 meters above the play area—a layout that provided excellent visibility but physically separated the spaces. The triangular shape of the land posed constraints that ruled out a conventional playground. To meet the need for play value and dwell time, we devised a unique solution.

Enter the captivating wildwood tower, complete with a slide and a play bridge connecting to the café deck. This bridge isn’t just a path; it’s an adventure for children and adults alike. A secondary entrance to the deck offers a circular journey, unlocking countless playful possibilities. A pebble play area, adorned with a play hut and oak tower, weaves playful routes using a tree crown, boulders, and log hops. To further enhance imaginative play, we introduced pulleys, buckets, and chutes—achieving the desired dwell time as envisioned by our client.

A Unique Approach to Public Space Playgrounds.

The real testament to our success lies in the resoundingly positive feedback from the public. During our post-installation visit a few months later, parents were eager to share their experiences. Their children frequented the playground, often spending one to two hours revelling in play, an affirmation that our playground for public spaces and parks had truly become a beloved community treasure.