A special school in a garden - a new place to inspire, nurture and stimulate the senses has recently opened for children with a wide range of disabilities in Melbourne’s north-west.
Glenroy Specialist School offers education, specialised health care for children aged 5 to 18 years and support resources for parents and carers of children with disabilities.
In 2009, the design of a new school and a fully accessible, sensory landscape commenced and in December 2012, the school opened at its new site in Hilton Street.

Jeavons Landscape Architects was engaged to design the landscape for the new school with buildings designed by Peter Lyall and Associates Architects.  Professional services included consultation, design, documentation and partial contract administration during the construction phase.
The landscape works were constructed by Earth Aspects.

Our design was informed through close collaboration with staff and the school’s leadership team.  We visited the school in its previous location to gather their insights and aspirations for the new school. Children in junior, middle and senior class groups can move through and interact in courtyards with serpentine paths of contrasting surfaces, punctuated with gardens of highly textural foliage plants. A large kitchen garden allows students to access raised beds for growing produce and participate in propagation and potting activities within a productive garden of herb, fruit and citrus trees.

Starting school this year was exciting for students at the Genazzano FCJ College Early Learning Centre as the 2013 group was the first to experience this amazing new purpose-built facility that includes a completely new outdoor play environment, new play rooms and a refurbished library.

Jeavons Landscape Architects collaborated with Genazzano staff and H2o Architects to design this rich and complex outdoor area that supports the early learning program. This is a constrained site with complex site levels, and the Jeavons team aimed to maximise the natural qualities of the space for children’s engagement while allowing as much room as possible for running, climbing, sand play, sensory play and play with loose materials.

We worked closely with H2o Architects to ensure that the outdoor area complemented the building and connected seamlessly with the indoors. The construction of the building and outdoor area was managed by 2Construct.

The quality of materials and workmanship has created an outstanding end result. Benjamin Gilbert designed and built the galvanized cubby which is a centre piece of the area.

Since 2007 Jeavons Landscape Architects have collaborated with Albury Botanical Gardens, the Friends group and Albury City Council to turn their ideas for a children’s space into reality within the historic Albury Botanical Gardens. 

Built over the years by Gardens staff with art works by artist James Cattell, the project came to fruition in late 2012 and visitors can enjoy the dinosaur entry, the troll cave, sculptures and other rich details in the magnificent setting of this beautiful garden. Photography is by Jodie Hutchinson.

We are pleased to announce that last week Jeavons Landscape Architects were awarded the National Sustainability Award for Landscape Design for the Clifton Hill Railway Project .

Read more on http://www.bpn.com.au/bpn-sustainability-awards/2012-winners/jeavons-landscape-architects-win-landscape-award



At the BPN awards night in Sydney the judges said:

"Beginning in what has been a highly degraded site in need of rejuvenation, the project does a lot to restore the biodiversity and repair the riparian environment.

The great effort made in community consultation and after 48,000 indigenous plantings has resulted is an attractive space in all its minutiae.

"It is an unassuming intervention which appears as though it may have been there for a long time. It is a delight to see."

Zoe has moved on after 8 creative years making a great contribution at Jeavons Landscape Architects. We wish Zoe well with her new project researching Urban Ecology at the University of Melbourne.

Mary Jeavons was a key presenter at the recent Kidsafe WA seminar Playscapes in Public Spaces in Perth Oct 25, 2012.  

Marys presentation on the design of public play spaces emphasised ways of adding value to public play spaces in parks, even if budgets are tight. These points are particularly relevant as ways to add value where standard off-the-shelf play equipment is used in parks.   

Ten key design features that MAXIMISE PLAY value in parks

1. social and inclusive design
2. opportunities to explore and discover beyond designated boundaries
3. available natural elements and loose materials
4. some open ended design features
5. opportunities for varying levels of climbing and risk taking
6. provide for key forms of movement-swinging, rocking, spinning
7. chose flexible, adaptable and multi-purpose elements that maximise the number of users who can participate
8. beneficial physical relationship between elements will maximise the value of each
9. spatial complexity
10. a ‘signature’ feature, or some inherent magical or memorable quality

Jeavons recently completed two playgrounds in Karratha, Western Australia. 
 
The first project, Bulgarra Public Open Space, was part of a Masterplan to improve the play facilities in the reserve. The playground added value to the existing sporting fields, tennis and netball courts. Custom designed play structures and cubbies were constructed by Earthcare, Living Iron and Forpark.
 
The second project is located in a new sub division and is tagged as the new outdoor space for locals. Baynton West Adventure Playground is located adjacent to a park with a running track, exercise equipment and ball courts. The accessible play space caters for all
ages and boasts a custom designed (near full sized) dump truck, artwork, sand  play areas, net structure, multi-directional swing and a 30m long double flying  fox. Planting will add character and shade to the play space over time, whilst  shade and communal areas are plentiful. The playground was officially opened by Regional Development and Lands Minister Brendon Grylls on October 7 2012. The playground has been officially called Mara Guthurra Adventure Playground. 

Jeavons designed and documented both play space designs and was well supported by Emerge &
Associates during the construction period  on the Baynton West Project.

Sulochi Walisinghe moves to Knox City Council 

Sulochi has a new position as a Landscape Architect looking after play spaces in Knox, amongst other projects.
Sulochi came to us as a new graduate and though we will miss her, congratulate her on her new role.

This newly opened precinct called Growing Wild invites young children, their families and carers into Melbourne Zoo to literally enter the world of the animals - to eyeball meerkats and giant tortoises, climb and explore, dig in sand, look for worms and beetles and play ‘lookout’ like the meerkats on guard. They can try on a tortoise shell for size, watch ants, and scratch around on a brush turkey mound. Children and quokkas can explore the living tunnels together and in the discovery centre building, keepers can set up animal encounters with a variety of creatures that live on or
in the ground.

Jeavons Landscape Architects lead a team of consultants including Architects ClarkeHopkinsClarke and interpretive designers Arterial.

The team collaborated closely with Zoo staff for over three years to create this immersive landscape aimed to connect children to the natural world- a long term goal for Melbourne Zoo, as one of the world’s leading conservation
agencies.

The project opened on 21 September 2012 and is a complex, accessible and inclusive play space designed so that children of all abilities can experience the animals, sand and nature alongside their friends and siblings.

You can read more about it on the Melbourne Zoo’s website.

The UK Health and Safety Executive together with the Play Safety Forum recently published a joint high level statement on risk and children's play.

It advocates that play is great for children's well-being and development and acknowledges that accidents and mistakes happen during play. 'No child will learn about risk if they are wrapped in cotton wool'.

In summary the statement makes clear that:

• Play is important for children’s well-being and development
• When planning and providing play opportunities, the goal is not to eliminate risk, but to weigh up the risks and benefits
• Those providing play opportunities should focus on controlling the real risks, while securing or increasing the benefits – not on the paperwork
• Accidents and mistakes happen during play – but fear of litigation and prosecution has been blown out of proportion

Read a pdf of the statement here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/entertainment/childs-play-statement.htm
_