Crafting Spaces That Inspire
Children and teenagers being seen and heard in shared public space are the hallmarks of a society at ease with itself.
OUR STARTING POINT when embarking on a design commission is always: How will people respond to a given space in use? Of course, the aesthetics are important, but they are often relatively easy to attend to. The more complex, sensitive task is to ‘think human’, to ask the questions that include:
- How would people like to feel in a given space?
- What will help make people – children, teenagers, adults – feel secure?
- What affordances might be created that will prompt and support intergenerational, informal sociability? The Village Green perspective.
- What do children and teenagers like to do, as distinct from what they are supposed to like to do?
- What is the best possible balance to be struck between the need to hold down maintenance costs and the imperative of creating valued places?
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
Bringing Vision to Life
PLAYLINK designs and implements schemes for a wide range of clients in a range of spaces and settings – see our portfolio. We provide a comprehensive service from scheme inception through contract administration to the completion on the ground.
Comprehensive Planning
From concept to completion, we meticulously plan every detail to ensure seamless project execution.
Tailored Solutions
Designs customized to reflect the unique needs, culture, and character of each community.
Sustainable Practices
Incorporating eco-friendly methods and materials for long-lasting, impactful spaces.
Consultation
We recognise both the scope and the limitations of consultation. We aim to make consultations a shared engagement with ideas, widening the appreciation of what is possible, what is desirable.
Conversational by nature, with a strong track record of working with a wide range of communities, clients and interests, we are effective communicators.
We work with the best: our craft people, artists and specialists create unique structures and features, using reclaimed materials, where possible, as part of a general approach to place making.
Risk
We have extensive expertise in addressing ‘risk issues’ and are recognized for our ability to balance safety with the need for dynamic, engaging environments. At PLAYLINK, we employ risk-benefit assessment as a fundamental part of our design process. This approach ensures that risks are carefully evaluated and managed, not to eliminate challenges but to create spaces where individuals—particularly children and teenagers—can explore, test boundaries, and learn through experience in a safe yet enriching way.
Our risk-benefit assessments begin at the initial design stage, where we work closely with stakeholders to identify potential hazards while also considering the significant benefits of play and social interaction. As the design evolves, we continually revisit these assessments, adapting to new insights and project developments to maintain a thoughtful balance between safety and creative freedom.
This proactive and collaborative approach allows us to design spaces that are secure yet vibrant, inspiring confidence and joy in every user.
Some PLAYLINK Schemes
Our design work includes large and complex park schemes, for example:
- Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds, requiring Scheduled Monument Consent;
- Creating the playable Carville Hall Park;
- Innovative water play scheme at Inwood Park.
We also act as advisors on major schemes, for example, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the Kings Cross Central development.
We undertake smaller schemes, for example:
- Rachel Keeling Nursery School;
- Gascoigne Estate.
Years Of Experience
Completed Projects
Happy Clients
Bringing Communities to Life: SOME OF Our Projects
