The following article is a guest post courtesy of Play Universal Co.
Kids stuff, one may say, but play is the first encounter one has with the environment of the world out there. Beyond the world of one’s parents lies an environment ready to be set upon, influenced to our liking. It is an expanding world that starts with the first toy, the first step, the first playmate, and the first playground, and the first playground lesson – whatever that may be.
In preparation for Play Pilipinas 2011, Play Universal held a competition to challenge designers, both professionals and students alike, to come up with their vision for a
conceptual space that will immerse children, teens, and even adults in the wonder and delights of active play. On this landmark Philippine conference on play, Play Universal will unveil the winning design: a 100sqm indoor adventure playground.
There is no lack of inspiration for all 5 finalists, as visions of the new Filipino playground come together from three cities, and five design groups, vieing for the top prize of P50,000 – and the one chance to see their vision come to reality.
Most finalists incorporated Filipino elements into their submission, including Team DVD Design’s “Fiesta Playground,” a most vibrant interpretation of this most traditional of activities. This group of former classmates from the UP College of Architecture in Diliman turn to the use of sustainable materials in what judges deem a “beautiful presentation.”
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| Team DVD |
Apart from the attention shown towards Filipino culture, what makes the smartly-titled “Palarojuan” from Encore exceptional is its excellent use of small space – perhaps influenced by the constraints of public space in Manila. Taking inspiration from three traditional games, one feels a sense of Filipino community from the design’s embodiment of Pinoy play.
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| Team Encore |
“Lihok: Tinalak Dulaan” by Davao’s BuildingBlox is centered around movement. It uses vernacular ideas of play and material, to turn a child’s “dream” playspaceinto an ergonomic reality. Judges described their work as “a good use of color and variety of play experiences”.
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| Team BuildingBlox |
The Cebuanos make a bid for greatest reinvention, in EDS+ADL’s “RePLAY”, with their ingenious use of shading. This group of Cebu and Samar-based architects create a space best described as revolutionary in its effort to crearte a new sense of play.
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| Team EDS + ADL |
Walls do not only define, but also redirect movement, as Manila’s M Cubed used the flexibility of partitions for the aptly-titled “Choose Your Own Adventure: Wall Playscapes.” The design is capable of reconfiguration into different lay-outs, to incorporate different playthings for a new experience each time.
The finalists will be judged by an international panel of designers including renowned Cebu-based designer, Kenneth Cobonpue, International Play Association’s Hitoshi Shimamura, Australian Marcus Veerman of Playground Ideas, and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Isabel Berenguer-Asuncion. The winning team will take home a cash prize of P50,000.
For more information about the Play Pilipinas 2011 Festival, you may visit the website at www.playpilipinas.org.
