Spiire’s Landscape Architecture team worked closely with MAB Corporation and Hume City Council to deliver the landscape design and contract administration at Merrifield Recreation Reserve.
Merrifield is a substantial addition to greater Melbourne that will house 25,000 residents and includes three schools, city centre and a business park.
The Merrifield Recreation Reserve spans 9.5ha and incorporates a range of sporting and play facilities including two AFL/ cricket ovals, six tennis courts, a half basketball/ netball court, a fitness node, a playground and a skatepark.
Our team took a collaborative and creative approach to this important amenity for the growing Merrifield masterplanned community, which included securing additional funding from the Victorian Government to build a 5000sqm off-leash dog park.
The dog park includes small and large dog areas with a communal shelter bridging both zones for dog owners to interact.
The play space was rigorously designed as a welcoming and inclusive space, catering for a range of ages and abilities. The skatepark incorporates a half basketball/ netball court alongside areas suited to younger users learning to ride or scooter. These junior zones are the transition point to the junior play space, which connects to an accessible area for infants and children of all abilities.
A new Beacon Hill forms a wayfinding landmark that provides amphitheatre seating overlooking the play spaces and sporting ovals. The structures at the top of the hill are a powerful visual cue to orient visitors to the play area and sports pavilion.
Our end-to-end services at the Recreation Reserve saw us work closely with contractors including JMac Constructions to navigate construction challenges including labour and materials shortages due to supply chain disruptions through the pandemic. Our contract administration ensured design integrity and quality was maintained throughout the construction process.
We are proud to see this space come to life at the heart of the Merrifield community.
Photography by Christopher Segrave // Captured Shots.
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