St Augustines Hammersmith London - £120,000
A Playground Design & Installation Project for St Augustines Nursery School
The transformation of the outdoor space at St Augustine’s Nursery School in Hammersmith, London, stands as a powerful example of how thoughtful design can reimagine even the most constrained urban environments.
Led by Robert Sergent- Fairley, the project turned what was once a bland, uninspiring reception playground into a vibrant, nature-rich setting that nurtures imagination, exploration, and growth.
Quote from the Head Teacher
“My dreams have finally come true for a Green Play area with endless opportunities for our children to run and climb and hide , whilst surrounded by beautiful trees and plants ; this is an amazing result and I can heartily recommend Robert and his delightful Team”
Set within a heavily built-up area, the challenge was significant. Space was limited, and the surroundings offered little natural inspiration. Yet the brief from the Head Teacher was clear: to create an exciting outdoor play area that prioritised planting, encouraged imaginative and creative group play, and incorporated opportunities for climbing, hiding, and discovery.
Crucially, the space needed to give children a sense of personal achievement—something often overlooked in traditional playground designs.
Features of this Playground
- Transformed a bland playground into a vibrant, nature-rich space
- Located at St Augustine’s Nursery School, Hammersmith, London
- Designed by Robert Sergent- Fairley for a compact urban setting
- Focus on planting, imaginative play, climbing, hiding, and exploration
- Encourages creativity, movement, and personal achievement
- Rich planting creates an immersive, natural environment
- Softens the surrounding built-up area
- Highly praised by staff for its impact and long-term value
- Children responded with excitement and curiosity
- Moves away from artificial designs to a true natural play space
The result is a complete redefinition of what a small urban playground can be.
Through carefully layered planting, the area now feels immersive and alive, with trees, shrubs, and greenery softening the built environment and creating a sense of escape. The design invites children to engage with nature directly, whether through sensory exploration, imaginative role play, or simply the joy of moving freely through a green space.
The transformation has been widely praised by the school community.
Staff noted that the once bland and uninspiring area has been completely revitalised into a visually striking and engaging environment that will benefit generations of children. The planting in particular has been highlighted as a standout feature, bringing colour, texture, and seasonal interest into the playground.
Quotes From Parents
"As a parent, I was amazed at the transformation; it’s gone from a dull space to a beautiful, natural environment where my child loves to play every day"
"The variety of features is incredible for such a small area; my child comes home talking about climbing, hiding, and exploring with so much excitement"
"It’s wonderful to see a playground that feels so green and imaginative in the middle of the city; it’s clearly made a huge difference to the children’s happiness and confidence"
For the Head Teacher, the project fulfilled a long-held vision of creating a green play area filled with opportunities for children to run, climb, and hide while being surrounded by natural beauty. The emphasis on movement, creativity, and immersion in nature has become central to the playground’s success.
The impact on the children themselves has been especially powerful. On returning from their holidays, many were amazed by the transformation, reacting with visible excitement and curiosity. The space, though relatively compact, now feels expansive in possibility, offering a wide range of features that encourage exploration, imagination, and social interaction. The journey to achieving this outcome was not straightforward.
The school had spent considerable time searching for a company capable of delivering a truly natural play environment rather than a standard modular design dominated by artificial materials.
Bringing in Robert Sergent- Fairley proved to be a निर्ण turning point, resulting in a space that exceeded expectations in both design quality and delivery timescale. Ultimately, this project demonstrates that even in the most urban of settings, it is possible to create a rich, green, and inspiring play environment—one that fosters creativity, confidence, and joy, and will continue to enrich the lives of children for many years to come.