project
Forest Parade Special Needs School Landscape
| Client | NTG Department of Logistics and Infrastructure |
| Location | Darwin, NT |
| Completion Year | 2017 |
| Sector | Landscape Architecture |
| Education |
| Project Manager |
Fiona Eddleston
Director, Landscape Architect
The landscape design for Forest Parade Special Needs School prioritizes inclusion, discovery, and joy, creating spaces for diverse sensory and physical needs. A welcoming dragon sculpture greets students daily, fostering connection and comfort. Play areas encourage learning through water, sand, and tactile experiences, supporting movement, balance, and exploration. Social zones promote interaction, while safety and belonging underpin every element, delivering a nurturing environment that enhances development, resilience, and happiness.
Key objectives
Play spaces are designed to support a range of physical and cognitive challenges, enabling children to spin, walk,
Social interaction is encouraged through carefully planned gathering zones and interactive elements that promote shared experiences
The landscape supports not just play, but development, resilience, and happiness through thoughtfully integrated natural and built features
Project Story
The landscape design for Forest Parade Special Needs School centres on inclusion, discovery, and joy, with spaces tailored to the diverse abilities and sensory needs of its students.
A welcoming dragon sculpture greets children at the entry each morning, becoming a comforting daily ritual and symbol of connection to place. The play environments are varied and stimulating, offering opportunities to learn through water play, sand exploration, and tactile engagement. Play spaces are designed to support a range of physical and cognitive challenges, enabling children to spin, walk, run, climb, balance, and explore in a safe and supported setting. Social interaction is encouraged through carefully planned gathering zones and interactive elements that promote shared experiences. Safety, pleasure, and a deep sense of belonging are woven into every element, creating a nurturing and engaging outdoor environment.
The landscape supports not just play, but development, resilience, and happiness through thoughtfully integrated natural and built features.
