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Timberplay is thrilled to announce the UK debut of the innovative concrete-free foundation climbing structures manufactured by Richter Spielgeräte. These pioneering structures made their first appearance this month at Timber Festival 2024, a renowned event celebrating our forests and nature. Following the festival, the structure has found a new temporary home at The Patch UK farm park, promising an exciting and sustainable play experience for children.
A Step Towards Sustainability
Concrete has long been a staple in construction, valued for its versatility but held back by its environmental impact. Richter Spielgeräte addresses this issue head-on with their new foundation process, which eliminates the need for concrete. This ground-breaking approach uses the natural soil on-site combined with recycled aggregate to create a durable and eco-friendly foundation. This method not only reduces environmental impact but also offers several practical benefits, including easier maintenance, longer service life, and immediate usability after installation.
Concrete-Free Foundations vs. Concrete Foundations
“It is up to us to ensure that children can experience their environment through play – especially in the world of tomorrow.” - Julian Richter, Richter Spielgeräte
Showcasing at Timber Festival 2024
Timber Festival, organised by Wild Rumpus, took place from 5th-7th July 2024 and was the perfect venue to showcase these new structures. Timberplay has participated in the festival for three years, sharing a common ethos with the organisers to promote playfulness and a deeper connection with nature. The festival aims to celebrate the transformative impact of forests and provoke discussions about sustainable living. This made it an ideal setting to introduce the concrete-free climbing structures, symbolising Timberplay's commitment to sustainability.
“It’s great (as part of the Timberplay team) to come to events like this and see people coming together and able to freely express themselves as it allows us to experience an insightful snapshot into what we’re wanting to achieve with our equipment. People here have even been taking their shoes off and climbing bare foot thanks to this relaxed environment.” Mark Grimshaw, Timberplay
Children playing on the new structure at Timber Festival 2024
Why Concrete-Free?
The decision to move away from concrete is driven by several factors. Concrete production is a major source of pollution, and its high energy requirements for production and transportation significantly impact the environment. The new foundation process by Richter Spielgeräte minimises these issues, offering a more sustainable and practical solution. The prefabricated formwork rings and coarse recycled rubble used in the foundations provide stability and drainage, enhancing the longevity of the timber used in the structures. Additionally, these materials can be easily reused or replaced, reducing waste and promoting a circular economy.
Comparing new foundations with traditional foundations
A New Home at The Patch UK
Following its debut at Timber Festival, the concrete-free climbing structure has been relocated to The Patch UK, a family-run farm park in Buckinghamshire. The Patch UK is known for its family-friendly activities during the summer and autumn months. As part of the National Farm Attractions Network, Timberplay are thrilled to place play equipment in farm-park environments, which are popular day-out destinations for families and tourists.
The concrete-free foundations make it easy to install, dismantle, and relocate the structure, making it a practical choice for temporary installations. The Patch UK is just the first of several planned locations for the climbing structure, allowing more children to experience the joy of sustainable play.
Incorporating Risk in Play
One of the standout features of the climbing structures is their design, which incorporates elements of risk in play. The climbing stack product, offers twelve different versions, each providing versatile play and risk opportunities. These structures challenge children according to their own judgment of risk, allowing them to engage in a multitude of activities of their choosing like sitting, jumping, balancing, climbing, and being creative with other forms of movement. This also allows for a wide age bracket to explore this equipment as children can challenge themselves as much or as little as they like. The inclusion of risk in play is essential for children's development as it fosters resilience, problem-solving skills, self-confidence, and often, social interaction through helping one another navigate tricky areas of the equipment. By navigating these challenges, children learn to assess and manage risk for themselves and others, which is a critical life skill.
“Climbing structures are designed to replicate that very fundamental tree climbing and play activity that we all remember from our youth. Children of today have less opportunity to experience that sort of play.” - Timberplay Spokesperson
Looking Ahead
Timberplay's new concrete-free foundation climbing structures represent a significant advancement in sustainable playground equipment. By eliminating the need for concrete, these structures reduce environmental impact while providing durable and versatile play options for children. This initiative not only aligns with Timberplay’s commitment to sustainability but also sets a new standard for playground construction in the UK.
As we continue to prioritise sustainability and innovation, Timberplay is excited to bring these cutting-edge play structures to more locations, ensuring that children can enjoy the benefits of play in a more environmentally friendly way.