Ōtāhuhu Primary Free Play: Build of the Year 2025

Commercial Build of the Year, with Gold in Commercial Build (Over $500,000) and Commercial Design (up to 2000m²), Landscapes of Distinction Awards 2025. Ōtāhuhu, Auckland. By Luijten Landscaping Ltd.

Founded in 1858, Ōtāhuhu Primary School serves a vibrant, multicultural community. The school first asked about a soccer cage, then saw the chance to transform an underused area at the heart of the grounds into a free-play adventure space.

Luijten Landscaping delivered sculpted shotcrete play hills with tunnels, a climbing obstacle track, rope nets, a timber play tower with slides and a sheltered sandpit, all in a vivid, durable surface safe for children of every ability. Major earthworks ran through the holidays; the finished design passed an independent playground safety review. The school reports the impact on students has been immense, boosting engagement and attendance.

Ōtāhuhu Primary Free Play

Read why the judges gave it this award.

Why it matters

Every Registered Master Landscaper has earned the right to carry the mark, so the professional you hire is current, accountable, and backed by a national association that stands behind its work. Find a Registered Master Landscaper at masterlandscapers.org.nz.