Schools and Children's Gardens

We are passionate about the development of beautiful outdoor spaces for children which allow them to play and explore in ways not usually found in modern playgrounds.   We recognise the importance of play and the opportunities this provides for children to learn and develop.   Outdoor spaces can be an important part in this, especially in the areas of creative play, social interaction and the development of gross motor skills.  

Much of our work has focused on school gardens.   Our involvement can be as much or as little as required, from low to high budget projects.  Master plans, where ideas are work-shopped with staff, parents and students and plans are implemented by the school, through to high end building projects with fully documented landscape drawings developed in conjunction with architects and a range of professionals. 

We have experience in working with all abilities play spaces, where play opportunities cater for children with special needs without limiting the play opportunities of more physically active and adventurous children.   We aim for these spaces to be inclusive and exciting, providing spaces where children with special needs can play alongside their friends and siblings in a play space with opportunities for everyone.

Our designs for children’s spaces have a strong focus on the use of natural materials.   Planting design is a key element, and our extensive plant knowledge allows us to draw on a wide range of both common and unusual plant choices, to provide a planting palette which is visually and sensorially interesting while still robust.

We have also worked on a number of public parks, providing unique and special play spaces with individual responses which capture the needs of the local users and the site's unique sense of place.   This includes incorporating play spaces into larger park redevelopments, providing designs which cater to all ages and uses.  

Most importantly, we want the play spaces we design to be interesting, exciting, unique, playful, inclusive and to appeal to child’s view of the world.

Please visit our photo gallery for examples of some of our schools and children's play space work.

L&L Design landscape architecture, cultural heritage, horticulture
35 Yellowgum Road, Hoddles Creek, Victoria, 3139 ph: (03) 5967 4558 e:laidlawlaidlaw@bigpond.com
Principal: Andrew Laidlaw, Landscape Architect