Prospect School – Landscape Architecture Playground Design

Name: Prospect School Landscape Design Masterplan

Client name: Prospect Primary School

Site/Address: 76 Rosier Road, Glen Eden, Auckland

Project Vision:

To create fun and meaningful spaces and play features around the school for students, teachers and the broader community to enjoy. Seek to highlight the school’s four guiding principles by incorporating them into the design. These are Kaitiakitanga, Ako, Whanaungatanga and Rangatiratanga.

Project Goals:

To work with students and staff to create a masterplan which outlines its vision whilst allowing for the future development within the school including proposed new buildings. The masterplan aspires to utilise all available space and enable engaging active play and recreation. Some specific goals for the project included:

• Creation of gathering areas that represent the four school houses named after Māori Gods.
• Inclusion of culturally-appropriate design elements..
• Add texture, interest and curves around the school to soften the spaces.
• Remediate surfaces around the school and enhance and utilise the existing outdoor areas.

Process: 

The design process has been as inclusive as possible to ensure that the design captured the thoughts and aspirations of all parties.

In brief, the design process to date has included an initial meeting with senior staff representatives, preparation and approval of a formal design brief, and inputs and feedback were also gathered from workshops with students, teachers and the school’s Māori advisor. The master plan has progressed through concept and preliminary design stages with draft versions being reviewed by the school at the completion of each design stage. The project is being costed before going into detailed design and construction.

Outcome: 

A landscape masterplan design that captures and reflects Prospect School’s collective vision, needs and aspirations. The landscape masterplan shows where the opportunities for fun and engaging spaces can be built across the school’s site. A holistic view of the school’s open space network will help to plan future spending and avoids a piece-meal approach to developments within the school.

The value that Thomas Consultants team added:

Thomas Consultants are experienced in project management, stakeholder liaison, value management and landscape design in a variety of sectors. We understand how to take an idea through the design process and to construction. We listen carefully to client needs and reflect these in our outputs so that projects can be delivered on time, and to a client’s expectations.  At Prospect School close collaboration has enabled the masterplan landscape design to meet the aspirations of the school.

Partners we worked with on the project:

Prospect School staff and the wider school community.

Services provided:

Landscape Design, Project Management and Surveying.

Project timings:

• Concept design completed March 2021.
• Preliminary Design completed May 2021.
• Detailed design/tender phase currently underway.
• Construction underway as of 2022