Halifax Waterfront Submarine Playground

Working with a concept brought to us by Outside planning and Design studios and the Waterfront Development Corporation for a playground on the Halifax waterfront, Tern partnered with McGowen Marine Design to help bring the concept to life. Using information provided to us from the children’s design sessions Outside Panning and Design Studios had initiated with the public, Tern generated a series of sketches to refine the concept further. McGowen Marine Design then took those sketches and used them to generate Profile and Construction drawings and finalized all functional aspects of the design.

The submarine was a unique build project for Tern as it drew upon every facet of our teams combined fabrication abilities. The structure utilized wooden cores, fibreglass sheathing, epoxy resins, poly-carbonate paneling, custom aluminum hardware, and moulded FRP parts to achieve a long living, strong and playful structure. The project also allowed Tern to forge valuable new relationships with vendors outside the marine environment through the sourcing of parts and knowledge unique to custom playground construction.

The end result is unique: the structure includes a slide, periscope, portholes, climbing feature and interactive elements. The first level is also wheelchair accessible.