Gallions Park Play Area, Thamesmead

Peabody commissioned LUC to develop a high-quality play facility for the local community of West Thamesmead and to more fully understand its' value for people's health and wellbeing. The design seeks to work with the inherent qualities that Gallions Park offers, by focusing playable spaces within different character spaces, all interlinked by a network of paths and routes.

Birch Grove incorporates a narrow, raised timber walkway through meadow grass and existing Birch trees, balancing play equipment, a hammock swing, ' Sky Seats' and willow ' port holes'.

The Sunken Bowl provides a playful environment because of its landform and incorporates small scale play pieces for 3-6 year olds.

A Grass Clearing is based on a more challenging play environment for 5-10 year olds, featuring a bespoke timber climbing structure and large cantilevered tyre swing.

The scheme was designed to be as inclusive as possible, providing accessible play facilities for physically and mentally impaired children. The play area is freely accessible, free of charge and offers informal play and passive recreation for varying age groups.

The design ethos was grounded in working with the naturalistic fabric of the site, informed by spaces within the existing landscape of the Park that already provided a playful environment, including landform, views, tree types, exposed and enclosed spaces. By making use of the existing available space and natural resources on site, the design interventions have had a minimal on the surrounding environment.

The design uses mainly natural and UK-sourced materials including hardwood timber, timber logs with bark left on, woven willow, play bark and gravel. The planting strategy aims to harness the character of the site and ensure this can be maintained for the long term. This includes a relaxed mowing regime, low maintenance grasses, herbaceous perennials and Birch trees.

The collaborative design process included the development of bespoke timber play items and the use of willow to create informal play features and artistic interventions. The delivery of the park by Bowles & Wyer Ltd was made possible by partner funding from London Marathon Charitable trust & Royal Borough of Greenwich as well as Peabody's own investment.

Peabody commissioned an impact assessment alongside the design which demonstrated the wide-ranging contribution of the new play area makes to public health and wellbeing, including:

- Higher frequency and duration of visits at Gallions Park resulting in a direct increase in physical activity levels and notably higher levels of physical activity of those using the play space.
- A significant increase in playing with other children at Gallions Park suggesting a much higher amount of collaborative play and social contact.
- Higher instances of playing with natural landscape and loose materials suggesting a greater contact with nature at Gallions.
- Higher instances of exploring/journeying and constructing/manipulating showing a higher quality of play.
- A more holistic contribution to health and wellbeing, through increased sociability and enjoyment for both children and adults.

A park which was previously a transitionary greenspace has been transformed to become a destination, with residents & children visiting the park to play, picnic or simply relax.