Case Studies
Frew Park Playground

Design Feature

Type of project
Playground
State
Queensland
Location
Urban
On 29 November 2014, Frew Park in Milton was opened to the public on the former site of the Milton Tennis Centre (established in 1915) and Milton Bowl (established in 1962). Named after the founder of Queensland Tennis, Mr Robert Frew, Council developed a vibrant sport and recreation hub that celebrates the history of the site, hosts a playground that includes all-abilities equipment, and provides an opportunity for active play for older children and teenagers. The development of the park also uses innovative approaches to flood resilience and community engagement, which create a long-lasting, social space for the local community. 
Creating memorable experiences
The playground is the stand-out feature of the park. As neighbouring parks already had playgrounds for younger children, this project was deliberately designed to suit children aged 10-15, a traditionally difficult age to design for. To achieve this, more challenging activities and equipment were integrated into the design of the space, as well as areas to ‘hang out’ and engage in group social play. The park also offers users the autonomy to create their own play experience without feeling like they must follow a designated pattern.
Brisbane City Council’s project team developed an innovative concept for the playground, based on the former tennis centre grandstand, where a perimeter shell structure acts as the focus of the play experience.
This allows young people (and their adventurous parents/carers) to imagine they are climbing on the derelict grandstand or performing with their friends. Council formed a partnership with The Playworks and Guymer Bailey Architects to design and build the space.
Called ‘The Arena’, the playground is a clever mix of architecture and play incorporating large slides, climbing walls and tunnels up in the air. It is not for the faint-hearted, with the pinnacle of the space being a mesh cage seven metres off the ground, reminiscent of the former Milton Tennis Centre commentator’s box.
The Arena also encourages more participatory play where parents/carers and their children can interact together to create memorable experiences.
Project team
  • Natural Environment, Water and Sustainability Branch, Brisbane City Council
  • City Projects Office, Brisbane City Council
  • The Playworks
  • Guymer Bailey Architects

Project cost
  • $12.6 Million for the park project in its entirety.
  • Playground component approximately $1 Million.

Health value
  • Frew Park’s playground provides a very active environment for community members, facilitating outside play and the enjoyment of the natural environment.
  • The play equipment comes complete with some deliberately built-in challenging elements. Kids can take on the level of challenge they desire, which in turn leads to an increase in confidence. Studies show that when children are allowed to challenge themselves in a safe environment, they become more resilient and are better-equipped to handle challenges later in life.
  • Frew Park’s playground provides an enhanced recreation space with opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors. These opportunities contribute to positive family life and improved physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Economic value
  • The project has encouraged residents and visitors to travel to visit this unique space. The Arena playground has also encouraged tourism, with visitors travelling from all over Queensland. An estimated 300,000 adults and kids have played on it since it opened.


Environmental value
  • Frew Park’s playground demonstrates efficient land use. As the local population density increases so does demand for public space. It was therefore essential that the design for Frew Park utilised the available space efficiently. By avoiding a single intermittent use and instead providing the opportunity for multiple and diverse functions, Frew Park delivers an effective parkland space.
  • The project demonstrates innovative flood-resilience planning within the playground and surrounding park design. Given that the site and surrounding residential and commercial properties were severely affected by the January 2011 flood, a clever zero cut and fill balance was implemented within the project. This ensured that the playground and supplementary park works did not create any additional flooding impacts in the surrounding area whilst also providing a site stormwater solution. Recognising that water was a constant design parameter, the design team incorporated innovative stormwater engineering and management solutions that were tailored to suit site conditions. These solutions reduce Frew Park’s maintenance costs, whilst providing a reliable, low-cost alternative to using potable water for irrigation needs; and improve discharged stormwater to downstream catchments.
  • The project used durable, low-maintenance materials, and treated materials on site as needed. This minimised resource inputs and reduced the amount of raw materials and production energy used.

Social value
  • Frew Park’s playground offers innovative play equipment that varies in difficulty and type of engagement. It allows for participatory play, where parents, children and their friends can create memorable and exciting experiences together.
  • Frew Park‘s playground provides something that residents and community members can be proud of and share with visitors and friends. Having a local amenity that instils pride helps to build social cohesion and a sense of community among residents.
  • Artwork and interpretive signage were incorporated into the playground and surrounds, which was inspired by residents’ stories and memories of using the site over the last century. By including park elements which relate directly to the community themselves, it helped facilitate a sense of place, ownership and a personal connection to the park.

Use value
  • The playground provides an iconic space that can be used for regular gatherings and events. It provides engagement for children but also enables passive recreation for adults through seating, ample shade, and picnic amenities.
  • The project offers a play facility which enables children and parents to engage in healthy and active behaviours and caters to a range of play abilities.
  • The playground addresses the local community’s need for a safe and innovative play area. Although the playground is quite challenging in places, it is fully compliant with Australian playground safety standards. Feedback from Brisbane residents indicates that by creating a different type of playground, Council has provided something truly exceptional that children and the community value.

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