The Architecture of Play
DeCamp, Mary Lowery
2012
- Playgrounds have long been a fixture of childhood and the built environment and were first introduced in America in the late nineteenth century. Certain architectural qualities of playgrounds can lead to specific, important developmental outcomes for a child by facilitating stimulating play. Despite research which proves this as well as the acknowledgment of the failures of certain playground types, ... read morethe design of playgrounds remains unchanged. / The repetition of these failed forms of architecture derives from historical notions of childhood and adults' perceptions of child's play itself. Even something that might be considered pure and simple like children's play is not removed from social influence, and neither is its architecture. Through examining later instances of the interaction of play and the environment, such as skateboarding, tree houses, and the film _��Inception,_�� adults can understand their own complex relationship with architecture that facilitates fun and enjoyment. When adults more fully recognize their own emotional relationships with architecture, especially as related to play, they can more successfully implement better-designed playgrounds. Ultimately, to negotiate the ideologies and factors that have stagnated the design of playgrounds, my suggestions for a more unified and coherent play experience as portended by play spaces reside in viewing architecture as if it were a person, and more specifically, a friend or playmate.read less
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