Playscape
Playing is discovery. Playing is learning.
How can we lead children to have a fulfilling interaction with nature?
Keywords: playground, children, nature, environment,
prospective design, experience design, image, dream-projectPan’O -
capturing the nature that is all around us
Aug - Nov 2019Designed with
LIM SHI YU
TEN YI AN, LEWIS
LEPLAT SHANIUnder the guidance of
CHRISTOPHE GAUBERT Colloboration with
NTUC FIRST CAMPUSPlaying with nature is crucial for a child’s early developmental years, however not all children are fortunate enough to be sited next to such abundance of greenery space.
So, we asked ourselves,
How can we interact with nature when there is no greenery?
With Pan’O, children are able to play with the nature that is all around us — wind.
Featured on
NUS GRAD BOOK 2020
Pan’O is a sea of coloured panels that rotates with wind,
creating a symphony of movement thus revealing the normally invisible or unnoticed phenomena orchestrated by the wind. Transforming the site throughout the day, making each visit to this playscape never the same.
As a child enters Pan’O, the experience is likened to a maze
that is constantly changing and morphing with the wind.
In the sea of moving maze that varies in height,
it ignites the child’s inner excitement to engage in social play and display their creativeness as they sneak from panel to panel to hide from one another.
Pan’O is carefully designed
to ensure that the 3-size variation encourages both children and adults to tiptoe or crouch while they interact with one another behind these panels.
We understand a child’s need to release energy
and engage in a challenge to gain a sense of satisfaction, thus we allocate ample spaces for children to roam freely but also provide the options of tighter spaces within the numerous panels for them to run within these obstacles.
But of course,
playing is not just about the release of high-powered energy.
We also need to cater for an environment that fosters psychological comfort
for those children who require a quieter form of play.
This environment can be created by
a simple bend to connect 2 panels together using a snap button, creating a shelter that shades a child from the sun and also a private space for themselves.
With a simple rotation of the panels
Children are able to experience the phenomena of nature
as they direct and generate wind. These interactions give them a sense of empowerment when they collaborate to create their own version of play.
As day turns into night.
A sea of panels shimmer in the wind as light reflects off them, creating a magical experience for the community.
This transformation happens as
wind energy is harnessed during the day through the rotation of the panels. Serving as a learning place for children to appreciate the gift of nature.Through Pan’O we hope to inspire the future generation of children
that the wonder of nature is beyond greenery,
and how something as invisible as wind is a precious resource that we should pay more attention to.