Suggestions
Grounds Maintenance, Landscape Creation, Arboriculture, Sports Surfacing, Parks management, IOS Managing Safely Training, Ecology & Biodiversity, Grass cutting, Horticulture, Street Cleaning, Soft Landscaping, Hard Landscaping
Our Services
idverde provides a wide range of green services, including grounds maintenance, landscape creation, and advice services, to both private and public sectors across the UK.
Princess Marina Park
Princess Marina Park is a new 100 home housing development near Duston, Northampton.
Background
Princess Marina Park is a new 100 home housing development near Duston, Northampton. Persimmon Homes required a natural theme for the new play area to suit the accompanying natural landscape.
Our Role
idverde was chosen to design, supply and install a play area catering for a wider age group of 2-12 year olds whilst capturing the theme of natural play.
Scope of Work
- Extensive groundworks including
350m2 of excavation and 1280m2 of
mounding formed from reused spoil on
site - 9 items of Norleg Robinia play
equipment, including a multi-unit,
seesaw and a crocodile sculpture
- Street furniture including 7 benches, 4
tables, 9 bins and 5 cycle stands - Natural features including railway
sleepers, 15 play boulders and 2 fallen
tree trunks - Surfacing works including the
installation of grass matting, turf, play
sand and bark mulch
Play Value
Wooden sculptures, including a carved crocodile and fallen trees, were installed to provide incidental play for children following the walkway into the park. A wooden toddler stack was installed to cater for younger ages, providing the opportunity for climbing, balancing and access to different viewpoints. To encourage interactive and inclusive play, the main play area includes a basket swing. It also provides an opportunity for rocking and relaxing. The Multi-unit includes a slide and towers and offers multiple climbing access points. The access points promote physical activity and muscle development; the towers offer role playing, imaginative play and creative development. A seesaw ship aims to give children the feeling of being in the sea, providing role play opportunities, balancing and interactive group play.
Innovations
Rather than proposing the standard edging around the main play area pit, idverde built a surrounding low-level mound to keep the surfacing in place. This solution costs an average of £10 per metre, an innovative cost saving in comparison with a vertical log wall at £200 per metre. This requires less excavation to the surface, thus reducing the cost of levelling and bringing in additional materials.
The higher-level mounding was created from reused spoil on site, reducing the cost of its removal whilst providing acoustic suppresion to the surrounding houses. idverde utilised their in-house design teams’ integrated skill sets of landscape and play provision design to create an aesthetically pleasing play area, providing a variety of diverse play experiences for the local children.
Results
idverde’s in-house design teams were dedicated to creating a naturally themed play area for the development. All of the play equipment was manufactured by Norna, whose equipment idverde has been supplying and installing for many years. Their equipment is made of Robinia wood – a dense, untreated wood with a 25 – 30 year lifespan. idverde utilised their in-house design teams’ integrated skill sets of landscape and play provision design to create an aesthetically pleasing play area, providing a variety of diverse play experiences for the local children.