Amoplay
Playing equipments for outdoor spaces for AMOP
Águeda, 2009
Playing equipments for outdoor spaces for AMOP
Águeda, 2009
Play is a child’s default behaviour. Playing is a fundamental activity to human growth and development, be it on a physical, cognitive, mental or social level.
The need to find alternative playing equipments for outdoor spaces lead to the this project’s extensive research. Looking at our landscape and cultural heritage – and reminiscing over our own childhood memories – we strived to find new ways of outdoor entertainment that could combine physical and mental activities, while allowing users to engage on a creative exploration of these equipments.
As such, these elements’ basic shapes allow children, parents and educators to approach each module according to its shape and function: a wall where any child – regardless of height and physical limitations – can freely draw and write during school break, or where teachers can give outdoor classes; a colorful sphere to jump over, to lean against or sit on and read a story; a sand table where sandcastles can be built, or glass marble racing tracks can be set; pipes where kids can play space ship or hide-and-seek; a slide to just to slide down and smile.
At this first stage, the 5 pre-casted concrete modules that make up this project (outdoor blackboard, sand table, multi-function spheres, maze pipes and slide) allow children to practice psychomotor activities suitable to their different growth stages. The unique design of each object allows for its individual use, but also to become a complement to other outdoor playground product ranges. The choice of pre-cast concrete as the range’s common material offers a more environment-friendly and cost-effective (both in terms of acquisition and maintenance) alternative when compared with existing playground equipments.
The AMOPLAY project, the result of a collaboration between AMOP and design studio Pedrita, was presented for the first time to an international audience during the 2009 edition of Experimentadesign, Lisbon’s international design biennale.
A simple composition of outdoor blackboard walls was tested by the event’s youngest visitors.
The need to find alternative playing equipments for outdoor spaces lead to the this project’s extensive research. Looking at our landscape and cultural heritage – and reminiscing over our own childhood memories – we strived to find new ways of outdoor entertainment that could combine physical and mental activities, while allowing users to engage on a creative exploration of these equipments.
As such, these elements’ basic shapes allow children, parents and educators to approach each module according to its shape and function: a wall where any child – regardless of height and physical limitations – can freely draw and write during school break, or where teachers can give outdoor classes; a colorful sphere to jump over, to lean against or sit on and read a story; a sand table where sandcastles can be built, or glass marble racing tracks can be set; pipes where kids can play space ship or hide-and-seek; a slide to just to slide down and smile.
At this first stage, the 5 pre-casted concrete modules that make up this project (outdoor blackboard, sand table, multi-function spheres, maze pipes and slide) allow children to practice psychomotor activities suitable to their different growth stages. The unique design of each object allows for its individual use, but also to become a complement to other outdoor playground product ranges. The choice of pre-cast concrete as the range’s common material offers a more environment-friendly and cost-effective (both in terms of acquisition and maintenance) alternative when compared with existing playground equipments.
The AMOPLAY project, the result of a collaboration between AMOP and design studio Pedrita, was presented for the first time to an international audience during the 2009 edition of Experimentadesign, Lisbon’s international design biennale.
A simple composition of outdoor blackboard walls was tested by the event’s youngest visitors.
Collaborators
Carolina Pacheco
Catarina Violante
Carolina Pacheco
Catarina Violante
Text edition and translation
Frederico Duarte
