Materials & Techniques
We’re dedicated to increasing the use of natural materials in children’s play spaces. Our construction methods reflect this too.
We source as many materials as possible from within Forest of Avon boundaries and from local suppliers. Through the use of oak, larch, chestnut, stone, sand, wild flowers and native plants we aim to create naturally fun and educational play environments.
Wherever possible, we avoid using concrete, plastics and polluting machinery in construction. Our carpenters, designers and landscapers are careful to adhere to health and safety regulations both in designing and building our structures.
Aftercare
We know spaces won’t maintain themselves, and we’ll provide guidelines on how best to encourage growth, biodiversity and good upkeep.
We can also remain in close contact should any additional work need doing – or if the whole thing’s such a success that you need another space built!
Check below for some interesting – and some shocking – facts about commonly used materials in the construction industry:
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
Sustainable Materials and Practices
Sustainability is important to Green Play Project. We choose our materials carefully to minimise your play area’s environmental impact. We always aim to:
- Use natural and renewable materials whenever available and appropriate
- Source locally to minimise transportation
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Some of the most popular building materials have a concerning impact on climate change emissions and resource depletion. Here are a few facts you might not have known…
Cement and Concrete
The cement industry is the second largest CO2 emitting industry behind power generation.
Worldwide, cement production is estimated to produce approximately 5% of all manmade carbon dioxide emissions – more than aviation!
The manufacturing process depends on burning vast amounts of cheap coal to heat kilns to more than 1,500′C.
It also relies on the decomposition of limestone, a chemical change which frees carbon dioxide as a byproduct. Cement plants and factories across the world are projected to churn out almost 5bn tonnes of carbon dioxide annually by 2050 – 20 times as much as the government has pledged the entire UK will produce by that time.
Additional impacts include those from mining, such as dust, the effects of excavating quarries, and energy requirements for the extraction and transportation of the materials.
Green Play Project uses minimal amounts of cement and concrete, reserving it only for occasions when essential for safety.
Steel
Many traditional play features use steel as the main structural material. Unfortunately, the steel industry is another big polluter, as the manufacture of steel involves the use of huge blast furnaces and large amounts of coal. The steel industry now accounts for 3-4% of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
A recent analysis of Steel vs. Wooden frame homes found that the steel-frame designs used 281% more non-renewable energy than the wood-frame designs. (Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM). June 1, 2004. Phase I Final Report, Module A, Forest Resources)
We acknowledge the structural merits of steel, but prefer to use it only in very small amounts, such as in fixings.
Timber
Wood from sustainably managed sources cannot only be an excellent structural material, but also an environmentally conscious choice. As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the air, whereas cement and steel release CO2 into the atmosphere. In well-managed forests, trees are coppiced or new trees are planted after harvest, to continue the carbon absorption process. So timber is a ‘carbon negative’ material (which is a good thing!) (Forestry Commission publication ‘Carbon benefits of timber in construction’ 2006)
But it’s important to know where your timber is coming from. Illegal logging and the international trade in illegally logged timber is a major problem for many timber-producing countries in the developing world. It causes environmental damage, costs governments billions of dollars in lost revenue, promotes corruption, undermines the rule of law and good governance and funds armed conflict.
The type of timber chosen also has environmental implications. Many softwoods, such as pine, require treatment with chemical preservatives in order to stand the test of time in an outdoor environment. This process is energy intensive so creates emissions, and can also lead to leaching of chemicals into the ground.
Green Play Project sources timber from carefully managed local forests. We choose wood that is high in natural preservatives so it doesn’t need chemical treatment, from trees such as Larch, Cedar, Chestnut and Oak.
Play Surfaces
Conventional safety surfaces for the ground of play areas are formed from synthetic and plastics-based materials or poured rubber. The manufacture of these requires fossil fuel energy inputs and use non-renewable ingredients.
Green Play Project uses play bark as a safety surface, which is a natural waste product of the timber trade. Occasionally we may use 100% recycled rubber mats or chippings as an alternative. We never use plastics-based ground cover.
Biodiversity
We aim to facilitate high biodiversity in our play areas – tyre walls, rockeries and ponds are all home to many dozens of species, and it’s our duty to maintain habitats for indigenous creatures rather than drive them away. An array of plants and creatures is also exciting and inspiring for children.
Water
It’s easy to take water for granted, but water features with falling water are scientifically proven to be good for our physical and emotional health.
Falling water is known to release ‘negative ions’ (atomic particals), which ‘ionises’ the surrounding air. This counters the imbalanced ‘positive ions’ which are emitted from things like TVs, computers and lights and are largely responsible for us feeling frazzled, tired giving us headaches.
It may sound far-fetched, but it’s widely agreed in the scientific community. And we can witness the effects ourselves if we compare visiting a waterfall, or going outside after a storm, with sitting in front of a computer all day.
To read more, please visit this website.
