Bungarribee Park

Client
Western Sydney Parklands Trust

Project Partners
JMD Design

State
New South Wales

Lateral thinking delivers a ‘Super’ new play structure at Bungarribee in Sydney’s west.

Western Sydney Parklands Trust (WSPT) wanted to add a much-needed ‘hero’ play element that would attract visitors to their new Bungarribee Parklands. FORGE (formerly Fleetwood Urban) was engaged by principal contractor, Daracon Engineering, to help make it happen by delivering a unique play structure that had never been built before - a huge enclosed framework of tunnels and play nets, almost like a maze, with a lookout tower at one end and stainless steel slides positioned throughout.

Dubbed the Bungarribee ‘Super Park’, the award-winning project was large in both scale and complexity, and we delivered it brilliantly.

Our involvement.

FORGE (formerly Fleetwood Urban) worked on the Super Park as a subcontractor to the principal contractor, Daracon, who had won the project through a tender with WSPT.

When we were appointed, the main structure had already been developed and engineered. However we felt we could improve on the original design and explored ways to make it a more practical and effective structure.

We put forward a series of suggestions that were accepted by the certifying engineer, and then carried out the required changes. This included completing all steel fabrication and coatings, sourcing the necessary materials, installing footings, and finally erecting the entire structure (apart from the slides).

One of our most complex tasks was the preparation and painting the all-important CFC wall panels. This was done off site. We then transported the completed panels to the Bungarribee site where our crews lifted and attached them to the primary structural frame, which had been installed earlier.

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Design Challenge

The biggest challenge of the design, created by landscape architect JMD Design, was the complexity of CFC sheets, or skin, used on the walls. They needed to be attached to the galvanised steel frame and then painstakingly painted with irregular shapes and colours that crossed seamlessly from one sheet to the next. The design concept was great. The big question was, how do we actually do it?

Construction Challenge

Being able to install the Super Park structure safely on-site was challenging, both due to its complexity and its height. The CFC sheeting skin required particular care. The ability to paint the CFC sheeting skin in a controlled environment was essential to achieve the pattern required in a high-quality, long-lasting finish. Ultimately, because we got the methodology right, we were able to deliver the project seamlessly.

Innovations

FORGE (formerly Fleetwood Urban) introduced a secondary frame to the core frame, which enabled us to pre-assemble the CFC sheets in entire slabs. This removed the need to attach each piece to the frame vertically or work at height on site. Instead, we laid the sheets on to the secondary frames on the floor of our Assembly Facility – a much safer and more controlled environment. It also meant we could paint the all-important patterns without fear of misalignment.

Features

‘Treehouse’ (main structure)
Canopies and frames for swing sets
Internal play nets
Slide
Network of tunnels and ropes

Safety & Risk Considerations

The safety of all play elements and structures was carefully considered in line with the required Australian Standards by JMD Design. When the time came to install the structures, we used boom lifts and scissor lifts to prevent the need for scaffolding and remove the risks of working at heights.

Sustainability Considerations

The structure was designed and fabricated in a way that ensured it would stand the test of time and require very little ongoing maintenance.

Social

Historically, the area around Bungarribee was defined by paddocks and empty spaces. While it featured cycleways and a dog park, there were no play structures. But the new Super Park changed all that, providing a much-loved social hub for visitors to the Western Sydney Parklands to enjoy.