| 57 CONTRACTING Rich Landscapes Top skateparks designed by skater Russell Fredric This year the company achieved another milestone, winning the Recreation Aotearoa 2022 Playground of the Year award for its involvement in the redevelopment of Maidstone Max Tō Tātou Papa Tākaro in Upper Hutt. www.amc.nz Ph: 06 873 4428 for free measure & quote Visit our showroom Monday-Friday 8am-3pm or by Appointment 402 Victoria Street, Hastings 0508 666 777 | info@permacolour.co.nz | www.permacolour.co.nz New Plymouth, Auckland and Christchurch New Zealand’s longest leading suppliers of products for the Decorative Concrete industry, including Iron Oxides, Sealers, Additives, Tools and more. Since 2002, Rich Landscapes has completed an impressive portfolio of skate parks and playground projects in New Zealand, Australia and China. The award-winning business is owned by Richard Smith who has a wealth of design and build experience, underpinned by more than 24 years of skateboarding in New Zealand and internationally, to create skateboard parks and related environments that have received wide recognition. He gained a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at Unitech in 2002 while working as a maintenance worker on the Auckland motorway system. In the landscape industry he subsequently worked with landscape design and build firms, designing and implementing residential, commercial and public projects. In 2004 he began to focus on the 3D design of various environments from small courtyards through to urban environments while becoming a specialist in skate design and consultancy. He has designed more than 100 skate and play facilities and is highly skilled in 3D design, 3D printing, detailed and rendered drawings, and soft and hard landscape construction. “Part of the reason I got involved in skate park design was I was an active user at the time. I could see how things could be done better,” Richard says. He saw the need to better incorporate and connect skateparks with other amenities and to be in a family-friendly location which especially requires the likes of passive surveillance, which means having good lines of sight and public visibility into a skatepark. When Richard started the business, skateparks were typically designed by landscapers who were not skaters and the designs were not great, he says. “Sometimes the projects were built by contractors who didn’t really understand the fine details of skatepark construction.” These details include surface quality, rebate details around coping and edging and the design itself. Rich Landscapes employs two key staff, Matthew Woodside who holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree and Jessica Taylor who has more than 20 years’ experience working with corporate clients in New Zealand, Australia and London. With their combined skills, experience and passion, the Rich Landscapes team form a highly capable force in skatepark and playground design. The business recently completed its largest skatepark project, a $2.6 million contract at Alfred Cox Skatepark for Tairāwhiti Adventure Trust. “Part of the reason I got involved in skate park design was I was an active user at the time. I could see how things could be done better.” The contract involved upgrading the facility to a modern and international standard to create the opportunity for current and future generations to grow and develop in their respective sports. Rich Landscapes involvement included consultation with local users and the conceptualisation, development and detailing of the design for construction. The design incorporated various existing features while the remainder of the park was demolished and rebuilt with three distinct spaces with their own special features. This year the company achieved another milestone, winning the Recreation Aotearoa 2022 Playground of the Year award for its involvement in the redevelopment of Maidstone Max Tō Tātou Papa Tākaro, a landmark in Upper Hutt city. “It was a monumental task that had us focus on designing a space that was innovative, inclusive and accessible,” Richard says. The result is a park that is appealing to all ages including adults and that, like the company’s other developments, breaks the stereotype of a skateboard parks being placed in an obscure area where it can attract vandalism and unwanted antisocial behaviour, he says. Significantly, Maidstone was the first park where Rich Landscapes were contracted to design and redevelop the entire facility, so the award was a great endorsement of its capabilites and expertise. Its specialisation in this sector has led to establishing another business, Flow, which designs and produces bespoke skatepark features and resurfacing products. “We saw a gap in the market as there’s not enough specialist suppliers with some projects having a limited budget. “The idea is to provide prefabricated features that other people could install that don’t have the experience that the specialists have, while being cost effective, sustainable and built right here in Aotearoa using local materials as much as possible.” Flow products include elements such as ramps, rollovers, ledges and rails constructed from durable materials like glass reinforced concrete, Corten steel and hot dip galvanised steel when necessary. Resurfacing of existing parks is also undertaken using their own approved product and applicators.
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