Newtown Playcentre

Playcentre is a parent-run co-operative providing early childhood education with parents as first teachers.  Newtown Playcentre is a thriving centre in the vibrant suburb of Newtown in Wellington.  

The existing Playcentre building had been upgraded to address fundamental building fabric and layout concerns and the families at the centre were enjoying the interior environment which was much warmer and better suited to providing for their needs.  The exterior was in need of attention as it had been somewhat destroyed by the building project.

The brief was to accommodate the outdoor physical play requirements of the children.  At Playcentre there are areas of play which are always available and while some of these including carpentry and sand play were accommodated in the structural changes to the centre through an external deck area, the playground itself which accommodates big muscle play, water play and connection to te Taiao needed work.

The design allows for children to engage with te Taiao with garden bed areas and a permanent water play area.  It also has a continuous loop track for children to be able to navigate on foot or on ride-on toys and it has areas for different types of swing and trapeze fittings to be interchanged to provide a varied play environment.  

Structural planting frames areas for imaginative play and sound and colour are incorporated into the design to provide a rich and attractive environment.  As with all our community projects there was a great deal of collaboration in reaching such a well-loved and used outcome.