Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital Playdeck
Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital Playdeck
The Women and Children’s Hospital Play deck is a vibrant outdoor play environment created to support patients, siblings, families and staff.

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About

Located on an existing elevated deck adjoining clinical areas, the space opens to the sky with punchy colour creating an uplifting destination.

A bold blue and yellow palette animates the play deck, with blue on the ground plane creating a grounded base and yellow on play equipment signalling energy and discovery. The synthetic rubber surface, provides a soft, accessible base that is durable, easy to clean and hospital-appropriate. White visual markers on coloured pathways form a continuous running track, guiding children from one element to another and tying the space together. Rather than specifying how equipment should be used, the layout encourages imaginative play for children of different ages and abilities.

The playspace accomodates large wheelchairs, enabling those with limited mobility to participate alongside peers and families. Inclusive, interchangeable equipment, a heat-resistant slide, a wheelchair-accessible in-ground trampoline, merry-go-round and magnetic games provide varied options. Sensory play is embedded through large-scale xylophone and drums, offering sound, touch and visual experiences.

The design offers moments of joy, control and normalcy during time spent at the hospital.

Details
Location
Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital on the land of the Kaurna People
Year
2024
Team
Damian Schultz, Alex Lock, Kar Gan, Jackie Gu, Thomas Doan
Client
The Women's and Children's Hospital and The Woman's and Children's Health Network
Engineering
Robert Bird Group
Fabrication
Iguana Creative
Softfall
Surfcon
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TCL acknowledges all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People — the traditional custodians of the land on which we work. We respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples continuing connection to land, waters, and culture and recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.