Scotch College Junior School Playspace

Education

Client: Scotch College Perth
Year: 2024-2025
Collaborators: TRCB, Scotch College Junior School Staff, Advanteering Civil Engineers, Prichard Francis, The Arbor Centre, Ellenby Tree Farm, Lypa, Playrope and Silvertone Photography.

Awards: 2025 Learning Environments Australasia Design (LEAD) Awards- Category 8, Outdoor Learning Area- Commendation.

The Scotch College Junior School Playspace is a dynamic, multi-levelled adventure hub designed to foster growth, creativity, and physical development for the boys of Scotch and their community. The space includes parkour elements, climbing walls, and basketball courts, which encourage students—whether they typically play sports or not—to engage in physical activity. The variety of play elements offers opportunities for skill-building in areas like upper body strength, coordination, and calculated risk-taking.

This space was designed with educational principles in mind, developed through staff workshops that were adapted to an online format due to Covid restrictions in 2022. Workshop outcomes emphasised the importance of upper body strength, imaginative play, physical exertion (with lots of basketball opportunities), and child-led inquiry in a shaded environment. By providing non-prescriptive, open-ended play opportunities—such as timber platforms, rock scrambles and concrete parkour boxes—the playground encourages students to use their imagination and engage with peers across different age groups.

A significant financial investment was made in the installation of 24 mature trees, offering instant natural shade and contributing to the space’s cooling effect. This decision aligns with the school’s Nature School philosophy, creating an environment where outdoor learning in encouraged, and students are protected from the elements. The shaded areas, alongside quiet seating zones, allow for calm reflection and outdoor lessons, provide options for the boys to decide how and what they wish to play or observe from a distance.

One of the design’s key strengths is its flexibility. The space facilitates a range of activities, from sports to quiet reflection, and fosters a sense of community both during school hours and in the holidays. Families regularly use the space after school, underscoring its role as a vital community offering. The diverse play features, such as the iconic tower and basketball courts, provide a space where boys of all abilities can participate in various activities, promoting inclusivity and social interaction.

Drawing on a long-standing relationship with Scotch College, Four Landscape Studio has delivered an outstanding outdoor play space for Junior School students that enables play, learning and connection.

The design carefully juxtaposes natural play spaces, formal court areas, climbing zones and shaded spaces for learning. Students of all ages, interests and abilities play in close proximity, reinforcing the College’s commitment to inclusivity and social interaction. Importantly the playspace supports mentoring and buddy relationships across school year groups – a key element of Scotch College’s philosophy.

Curiosity is sparked as students observe different types of outdoor activities, including basketball, climbing, swinging and imaginative play. Calculated risk taking is encouraged – students learn to use their bodies in different ways, developing coordination and strength in the process. Expanding the traditional role of a playspace, the project supports extensive learning in the landscape from science experiments to quiet reading.
In alignment with the College’s vision for the space, Four Landscape Studio has delivered a project that acts as a magnet for community activity throughout the year – it is alive with activity after school, during the weekends and over school holidays.

Four Landscape Studio has surpassed the College’s expectations and delivered a layered and thoughtful project that serves as a valuable blueprint for all junior school playspaces. 2025 LEAD Jury Citation.

 Images: Silvertone Photography