Queen’s Park Elementary School - Design Description
Friday, February 3, 2011
Rabbit Mountain Playspace Concept – This design seeks to emulate important elements of the
Okanagan landscape (named after Rabbit-Brush). First, with topography it makes use of hills and valleys
to create and interesting space with numerous opportunities for climbing and running, prospect and
refuge. Second, it makes use of native plants to accentuate the topography by creating rooms and by
screening views. The low-maintenance plants also help familiarize children with local plants, their play
or practical uses and seasonal changes. Third, there is a hierarchy of paths that help increase the
complexity and opportunity in play. The main path between the building and shelter offers clarity, slope
and material differences; the secondary looping path and lookout extension offers a sizeable and
convenient circulation path for tricycles or supervisors; and the third level paths of stepping stones and
log beams etc. provide ‘off the beaten path’ opportunities for discovery within and between the play
zones. Aboriginal symbols will be painted along the path to provide opportunities for learning and
creative play. A set of stop signs will be located at the entry to the Great Tree Shelter to help teach
enthusiast tricyclists the rules of the road.
i. Play Zones
The Aboriginal Story Poles will be the key feature as the entry point into the Exploration Centre.
This feature lends itself to literary connections, Aboriginal awareness, and story telling.
1. Mountain – Instead of using the path, children can slide or run into the space. This hill may be
useful for winter snow sliding and the Mugo Pines will form .
2. Shipwreck – The shipwreck is a structure for both active and imaginative play. Below the deck
is a covered hideout that offers open sightlines for play supervisors and provides refuge as
children look out at the rest of the playspace.
3. Loose Parts – This open space below the Honey Locust tree provides a place for playing with
blocks etc. Large boulders create islands for imaginative play.
4. Glacier Rivers and Beach – The Mountain waters can be pumped from a below ground
storage tank of approximately 150-300 litres. The tank will be an enclosed plastic container
securely situated below the play deck with a one-way valve for daily refill. A swiveling pump
allows the operator to decide which path the water will take and multiple stream courses and
tributaries allow other children to dam and redirect the water as appropriate. Eventually it will
reach the beach, which has amazing and deep sand for hole digging and construction.
5. Lookout – The lookout provides a chance for observing the older children and adults in the
adjacent schoolyard, crosswalk, road and parking lot.
6. Great Tree Gathering Shelter – This shelter acts as a staging ground for activities for the early
learners. The asymmetrical shape provides a large gathering space and low stage surrounds the
base of the tree. This space also links to a smaller gathering space amongst the rabbit brush. The
deck allows rainwater to infiltrate while keeping the trees root zone from being trampled and
compacted.
7. Figure 8 Loop Spaces – Walkway, Maze hills and Tipi - These spaces are composed of bunch
grasses, flowers and small shrubs. A decked path crosses the centre and leads towards the Great
Tree Shelter. Grass walls encourage flow between the shelter and the mountain and shipwreck.
Children may also choose to move through the walls from one anchor point to the other. The
southern point is a small maze hill with flowers at the top and tall grasses along the edge of the
path. The north anchor is the larger maze hill and tipi. This is a meditative spiral that takes a
child through a series of grasses and flowers to the top of a low hill where they can look out and
feel surrounded by plants. The central tipi is a wood structure with detachable fabric. Play
instructors will remove the cover at the end of each day.
8. Field – This space has been preserved for group activities and ball play. It is an asset that
should be kept as it is currently maintained by school staff and provides a large flexible use
space.
2. Considerations
a. Supervision – The space has been designed essentially as a bowl so that open views can be
maintained across the space. Some taller plantings will obstruct views, but more so for the
children, adding an element of mystery and discovery. Rocks and tall stumps are located around
the yard for convenient seating and the central gathering deck provides a clear view of almost
the entire play space.
b. Water – a parent volunteer using a tap and hose from the side of the building will fill an
underground cistern each morning. The water will be pumped by the children and once it is
entirely used it will remain empty until the next day. A floating mechanism could be used to let
the children know how much water is left.
c. Maintenance Access – An 8’ wide gate has been left at the south west corner of the yard for
lawn mower and other vehicle access.
d. Shelter – A shelter is an important element for any outdoor space. In this situation, the
existing oak tree, titled the ‘Great Tree Shelter’ on the plan will serve as a dense cover that
provides shade and relative protection from the rain.
e. Path Materials – Concrete will be used at the main entrance to the yard and asphalt for the
looping tricycle path. Wood decking is used to help increase surface textures and expand the
presence of the gathering deck in Option A. Sub-paths may be crushed granite, fibar, sand or
stepping stones.
f. Fall and Play surfaces – Sand is proposed as the protective fall surface and in the sand box.
The material is the cheapest and most effective when it comes to cushioning, drainage,
longevity and playability. For cleanliness and to maintain loose sand it may be desirable to
assign a parent to rake the sand areas once or multiple times a week. Crushed granite is
suggested for the other sub paths and moat. This material is not round so it is less likely to be
played with and won’t act as ball bearings (like pea gravel) on the asphalt. Fibar is suggested for
the loose parts play area as it is soft and relatively clean.
h. Posts for temporary shelters/forts/Tipi – A number of play zones have posts that are
equidistant and therefore can support the same material covering. My suggestion is to have a
number of well-sown sheets/tarps that can be connected by their corners to the posts. This way
on different days, different areas can be made special while protecting the children from the
sun. Multiple attachment points on the posts can be used to make high and low shelters. Posts
for a temporary cover or a trellis could be provided to shelter the sandbox from the sun.
Similarly, the tipi space may be an open post structure or have a material cover attached on
special days. For safety reasons, the cover is to be removed at the end of each day.
i. Plants – Key plants include the Rabbit-Brush, Sagebrush, Bluebunch Wheatgrass, Giant Wild
Rye, Sandberg bluegrass, Idaho Fescue, Mugo Pine, Saskatoon Berry, Brown-eyed Susan, Arrowleaved Balsamroot, Golden Current, Wax Current, Mock Orange, Soap Berry, Raspberry,
Blackberry, Blueberry.