I Prize
PLN 9,000 gross along with an invitation to negotiate to order the preparation of design documentation for the implementation of the project
Design team
Łukasz Stępnik, Łukasz Kowalski, Milena Trzcińska
Justification of the Chapter
The winning work drew the attention of the Chapter with its innovative approach to the topic of intergenerational play and integration of children and adults with different levels of fitness.
The project surprised the Chapter Members, as the Authors designed the play space on the estate in a non-standard way, i.e. without using typical equipment and toys. This is because the abstractly treated play and recreational equipment creates an inclusive space - without stigmatization and division into fully and less able-bodied people.
The designers took into account the zoning of the playground recommended by the organizers, with the work distinguished by the way the designed playground stimulates the imagination of children and adults.
Each zone is a different "island" drifting in a sea of greenery, and together they form an "archipelago."
The attention of the Chapter Members was also drawn by the sensitivity with which the natural context was treated - the playground equipment creates a coherent whole with the surrounding nature, they interpenetrate each other. The materials used in both equipment and pedestrian surfaces are natural: wood, stone, wicker. Various plantings are also important elements of the plaza space arrangement.
The landscape of the playground will change with the seasons, as well as with the passing of time. As the Chapter members assume, the designed playground will certainly surprise its users with different phenomena every day. Arranging the recreational space with respect for the flora and fauna, as well as with acceptance of the changes that occur in it, carries important educational values. The child begins to understand that he or she is a coherent and inseparable part of the world around him or her and, as a human being, can have a real impact on its state and condition.
The Chapter Members' attention was also drawn to the abstract treatment of functional forms. They are not intended to literally imitate the "adult world" like many of the catalog toys used on real estate developers. They give the child freedom of interpretation and use. The purpose and function here has not been planned in advance.
Most importantly, children of different levels of ability can play together, experiencing the space in different ways. The wicker maze-tunnel on the "island of secrets" can be traversed both by a child in a wheelchair and on foot, or even by crawling or creeping.
In the "grove" we can calm down - there is a place for both children and parents craving rest. The entire arrangement of this island consists of trees and elements made of wood, natural, unframed - including cut stumps.
Very important for the Chapter's positive assessment was the fact that the project, appearing in the representative drawings and visualizations as a fantastic, perhaps somewhat over-stylized mirage and childish fantasy, is also well developed technically. The detailed drawings - sections, views, projections, as well as documents such as the technical description, schedule and cost estimate are developed satisfactorily, at the stage of conceptual work.
Another important feature of the project is that, although it proposes solutions that are non-standard and require authorial supervision and refinement, they are not expensive and difficult to implement. We hope that this will be a pilot project that we can successfully take inspiration from in various locations in Poland.
