Architect

Foteini Kallikouni

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Project Year: 2021

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Client: Eustathia I.Kostopoulou Foundation - Volunteering project

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Area: 636 sq.m.

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Location: Kalamata, Messinia, Greece

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Type: Masterplan, Landscape design

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Status: Completed

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Photography: Robert Zervos

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The project is about the redesign of a nursery’s school playground which consists of two sub-areas: an official playground and an experiential garden. The project's brief had to follow a contradictory strategy for the design approach of each area.

 

The redesign of the “official playground” had to follow strict rules about materiality, specific type of equipment, height limits, absence of impediments and trees according to playground regulations that define children’s behaviour.

 

On the other hand, the experiential garden which was co-designed with the children of the school, contains key elements that although they contradict to the official regulations, promotes a creative and educational form of play. A vegetable garden, a treehouse made of recycling wood, a toolbox area, an arts and crafts table and a little pond that attracts the birds of the area constitute an experiential open space designed to be used in a creative and unexpected way.

 

Therefore, the implementation of two design strategies for the same playground challenge the design principles of the playground regulations and redefine the design limits of children's playtime.