Download - Playground@Landscape

COVERSTORY
enough space to run about, refers to the child day care facility’s
name and as a result creates an individual place to play,
with which the children and parents are able to identify.
The emphasis in planning is on developing motor skills, on stimulating
creativity, the senses and shapes and colours. The size of
the children plays a role and we must not forget DIN EN 1176.
What should be accomplished is everything which goes with the
educational aims of the child day care facility and which can be
used and looked after by the educators and parents actively
involved in situ.
Dipl.-Ing. Nils Kortemeier, Kortemeier
Brokmann Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH:
For us the important thing in designing children's playgrounds
is that the playground gives the children the opportunity
to develop their own skills and to experience the world
through their own senses. It should be set out in themes as little
as possible; in fact it is far better not to set it out thematically.
Children themselves give the objects themes; each child has his
own conceptions and these often change each time he plays.
What should be provided are a variety of spaces, which, despite
being free of all labelling by themes take on an identity for
the children. Often just a small intervention in the form of
topographical design is sufficient.
We believe that the deficiencies often lie in meaningless, loveless
play equipment which has been thrown together. Play
themes interfere, rather than complementing one another in a
meaningful way. Playgrounds of this sort do not challenge children
and therefore do not encourage their strong desire to discover
the world. In our opinion another deficiency lies in the concentration
on quantity rather than quality. Quantity is not important.
Quality is the deciding factor.
What will be needed in the future – in terms of planning, policy
and practicality? In the future opportunities to play should be
more concentrated. We believe that from the point of view of
demographic change it makes sense to dismantle some playgrounds
and to upgrade others in terms of design. We would be
delighted to see user participation in this under the leadership of
a landscape planner.
Christian Loderer, plancontext
gmbh landscape planner bdla:
At the age of less than three years a child needs a children's
playground where the play spaces are equipped according to age
– often the smallest children are forgotten or not sufficiently considered
– and where there is a combination of opportunities for
action as well as age and gender specific spaces, where the child
can retreat quietly.
The surrounding area must be as safe as possible to reach and
be free of barriers: the playground should be a protected place. It
should give a feeling of safety and emotional security, to allow
children to develop freely.
Our planning premises are: Potential for stimulating children to
develop their creativity instead of fixed game rules. Playgrounds
should have a theme appropriate for children. Playgrounds for
toddlers in towns and cities are also important points for
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