Play is the highest expression of human development, not just for children but for adults as well.

In a time when many people—both adults and children—are glued to their computers and mobile devices, rarely leaving their homes, urban and cultural problems arise, particularly affecting social cohesion. Urban designers and architects have a crucial responsibility to rethink the concept of the city in ways that draw people outside, offering experiences that home cannot. In this task, we challenge you to explore this concept from a child’s perspective, but not exclusively.

Your task: Propose an idea, vision, and concept for a space.

You can approach this from the perspective of:

A child in the city.

A parent who wants to spend time in an environment that is not just centred around children but also caters to adult interaction.

An adult without children who still values being in a quality environment where families are present.

Too often, play areas for children are limited to tacky play zones or fun fairs. We challenge you to think differently and develop a fresh vision. As a starting point, consider a place where a maximum of 15 children and 30 adults can spend time together and enjoy the experience.

While you may deviate from this, the core task is to express your ideas about the city from the perspective of children and the adults who interact with them.

https://www.froebel.org.uk

Take a walk through your city and observe it from a child’s perspective. Document your observations through drawings or photographs. Talk to some parents you know about their experiences with the city from their child’s point of view, and document these interviews with sketches.

Suggest interventions that could make the city a better place for children. (This could become the foundation for your next project.)

Form a group of three students to discuss your findings and ideas. Together, design a vision for a place or concept that doesn’t currently exist in our culture but is needed—a space that would bring happiness to children, parents, and others.

Suggestion: Many places designed for children are not particularly appealing to adults. Perhaps you could create a space where a parent can bring their child, meet another adult without children, and all three can enjoy the environment. This may be a challenge, but any ideas or contributions to this discussion on viewing the city from a child’s perspective are welcome.

The aim of this exercise is to develop a key skill for architects: the ability to take on the role of an engaged citizen, ready to tackle tasks from diverse perspectives and generate new, stimulating concepts.

A significant part of this workshop will involve learning about the creative process through rapid exercises designed to teach creative methods, tools, and frameworks for quickly developing concepts using unconventional approaches.

These exercises will be explained by the tutor during short exercises during the workshop