Children

Did you know that 64 million European children spend more time at school than anywhere else other than their home? European children spend approximately 200 days each year at their primary schools. With this information, how do we go about designing healthier classrooms that create productive learning environments? This question is perhaps more important than ever, as this will be the first time since the 1970s that Europe and the UK will see a boom in the construction and renovation of schools. What a tremendous opportunity this is for both architects and educators to rethink what an educational facility should be and how the physical environment can be designed to have a positive impact on learning.

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The tale began with a simple idea - a toy that every child, regardless of age and ability, can play, dream, and learn with. But things turned out less than simple. Fights, lawsuits, and even a death all mark the road it took to make a now-ubiquitous toy a reality. The object in question? Lego.  

It’s tales such as this one that Alexandra Lange explores in her new book, The Design of Childhood: How the Material World Shapes Independent Kids. Some may scoff at the seemingly trivial subject matter. Surely children, with their boundless imaginations and appetite for play, can discover ways to find fun in anything.

Le Corbusier stated in his seminal text, Towards a New Architecture, that “...man looks at the creation of architecture with his eyes, which are 5 feet 6 inches from the ground.” Logical and rational codes such as this form the standard for much of architectural production - but of course, these "norms" are as constructed as architecture itself. This particular standard is especially irrelevant when designing for children, for whom the adult-centric assumptions of architecture do not and should not apply.

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New York-based collaborative and design studio Snarkitecture have unveiled their newest interactive installation, bringing a surreal sense of play to Hong Kong’s waterfront. Titled “BOUNCE,” the installation features hundreds of 300% sized bouncing balls contained in a cage-like stadium, inviting the public to “create their own unique playing experiences.”

The program is spread across three locations, with the feature installation along the Harbour City waterfront, an indoor installation at the Ocean Center titled “Gallery by the Harbour,” and a children’s “Eyeball Maze” at the Ocean Terminal.

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Designed by Czech designers Atelier SAD and distributed by mmcité1, this mobile, nature-inspired gazebo is a playground must-have for children and adults alike. 109 waterproof, plywood scales are treated with resistant glaze and connected by galvanized joints to create a self-supporting, sustainable structure.

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Having trained at Yale School of Architecture, Spencer Luckey decided to pursue a slightly alternate career designing vertical climbing structures to let children’s imaginations run free. Luckey Climbers are part jungle gym, part work of art that rise up off the ground with undulating platforms sprouting out, creating an abstract space to inspire creativity and intellectual development.