Nathan Schleicher

playground concept

description and summary - Before pen touched paper, I interviewed faculty and students at 8 elementary schools, plus sunday schools and afterschool programs. The research i gathered help to guide every proceeding step of design.

critique - this tongue in cheek critique illustrates the many shortcomings of a overly sytemic, and overly lawsuite fearing design.

inspiration - this is one of many drawings kids did for me inwhich they conjured up their dream playground. I think this one has something to do with an underwater Mt. Rushmore with a pea shooter with kids cannonballing through the air. you can't get any more creative then that.

ideation - For ideation, i put away my expensive paper and markers, and instead filled sketchbooks with drawings in Crayola, from my old box of 96.

a map of my soundscape - this helps navigate and give context to the 8 elements i designed for my concept.

mini chimes - i imagine a forest path with these whimsical elements forshadowing the soundscape at the end.

seating - for the adults, who can play too if they like. a telephone leads underground to the centerpiece element. (last pic)

junkyard arc - found objects become a dynamic musical exploration.

orchestra - kids will often role play and imitate their parents, teachers, etc. This element takes on that facet of parallel play and transitions it to the musical world.

orchestra continued

orchestra continued

octave arc - important note: to prevent cacophony, a single scale is used throughout the scape, indicated by the colors shown here. (ex. any where you see red, its an E note)

slide - as you slide down you stick out your hand to create chimed music. (note the colored paddles for consistancy)

climbing element - this entire scape is ment to seamlessly compliment a surrounding natural setting, though this one most literally makes this point.

centerpiece - as you climb up, the sections depress, which causes a peripheral chime to ring out. also, the semi-enclosed space below could lend itself to imagination (fortress, house, batcave, etc). Often times, the unintentionally designed spaces in existing playgrounds, like the space underneath the stairs, become the most intrigueing places for the imagination.

Playground Concept - this render is a combination of rhino and a little photoshop.