Northcote regeneration local students help out

02 December 2024

Northcote
News
Urban regeneration

Not only was this a lot of fun for our team and the students, but as the future users of these public spaces their input was crucial.

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We’re delighted that students from Northcote Intermediate School actively participated in the design process for Northcote’s new community hub and upgrade of the neighbouring Puāwai Cadness Reserve.

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Background

In May 2024, the Eke Panuku design team presented key elements of the new hub and reserve upgrade to students in rooms 1 and 2 at Northcote Intermediate School - to gather ideas, input, and feedback on the proposed design.

A series of questions were posed to the students to spark discussion and ideas. This included:

What would you like to do at the new community hub, both inside and outside?
How should the new community hub look and feel?
What would you like to see there?
How will you know you are in Northcote?
What would you like the play area to have?

It was wonderful to see the students’ energy, enthusiasm, and their wealth of ideas!

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Students’ ideas

There were some great ideas for the play area in Puāwai Cadness Reserve. Some of the most popular ideas included:

Trees and planting
Seating
Footpaths
Trampolines
Swings
A slide
A basketball court
A play tower
A hamster wheel
A field for playing sports
A rope climbing frame
A flying fox
Monkey bars
A parkour area
An outdoor gym
A roundabout
A jungle gym
Separate areas for older and younger kids

As much as possible, these ideas were incorporated into a draft design for Puāwai Cadness Reserve. Students were then asked for their feedback on this design.

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Feedback on the draft design

The students loved the general vibe of the design and thought it felt relaxing and a nice space to visit and spend time in.

They also loved:

Being involved in the process and being able to provide their ideas and feedback.
The two separate playgrounds for younger and older children. They thought this would keep kids apart and stop them bumping into each other.
The play equipment. Big hits were the inclusion of a hamster wheel, trampolines, a tree swing, and the climbing and balance activities, as well as the bright colours and the greenery.
The field for playing games, although they would have liked some football goals. (We’re looking at this.)

They also told us what’s missing:

A pump track or some kind of skate park, but students agreed there were already a few in the area and at other schools.
In the big kids’ playground, they would have liked normal swings, a tall/big slide, a climbing wall, but students agreed there was a lot of climbing areas already included in the design.
Springy horses in the little kids’ playground because they are really fun! (We’re also looking into this.)

Taking on board this feedback, the design for Puāwai Cadness Reserve was then updated to create the draft detailed design – see below.

Thank you

Thank you to the students of rooms 1 and 2 and their teachers for their wonderful input and whole-hearted participation!

Their input, together with others involved in the process, will help ensure the design of the hub and the reserve meets the current and future generation’s needs.

See here for more information about Northcote’s new community hub and upgrade of Puāwai Cadness Reserve.