Envisaged by ASPECT Studios, the original design needed to fire the imagination and intrigue of local families. The colour scheme was inspired by the native red-tailed black cockatoo, with timber cladding reflecting the local Casuarina pine trees, from which the park takes its name.

Access options to the main tower deck needed to cater for all age groups and abilities. It was also essential for the structure to sit naturally amongst the existing established trees, and great care was taken to establish the most suitable levels and landing areas for the timber swing bridge that connects to the tower itself. View lines were meticulously planned to ensure unobstructed vistas west towards Mount Cotton.

The complex nature of the design meant precision craftsmanship was critical. Key structural sections were pre-assembled in controlled conditions off site to maximise finish quality, before being transported to Woodbury. This also ensured the smoothest possible installation at Casuarina Park with minimal disruption to local residents and other trades working at the site.

The complexity of the main play tower demanded large amounts of pre-assembly. However, being able to then transport the oversize structure safely from interstate required a highly innovative approach to both design and logistics. All elements were custom designed to fall within the oversize width and height limits, while still being one fully fabricated piece. This involved significant amounts of early design work and coordination with our logistics partners. Given Redland City Council’s understandable emphasis on long-term maintenance, all of the timber components used in the play tower were carefully detailed so that they can be easily removed and replaced in future, if required, with minimal effort by work crews.

• 7.5-metre custom play tower with two interconnected timber play decks
• 6-metre timber swing bridge with safety mesh siding
• 3.6-metre enclosed tube slide
• 1.8-metre flatbed open slide
• 2-metre fireman’s pole

• Painted structural steel
• Concrete footings
• Kiln dried hardwood
• Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP)
• Proprietary play/music items
• Stainless steel flexible safety mesh
• Play rope
• Rubber soft fall

To maximise user safety and ensure the play tower met all requirements under AS 4685, an accredited play certifier, Playforce, was engaged throughout the development and installation process.

Many months of forward planning also went into to ensuring the pre-assembly, transportation and installation of the large custom structures ran smoothly and safely. This included weight calculations, lift studies, site preparation and a wide-ranging project risk analysis.

The Casuarina Park site featured numerous well-established trees which had to be factored into the design and placement of the main structures. They also needed to be carefully navigated by crews during the excavation and construction stages. The final design also specified the extensive – and very intentional – use of hardwood timber in keeping with the dense surrounding bushland.