The Playground - A creative climbing centre for children
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Port Edgar, Queensferry, Scotland
Year 3 Undergraduate year long project
Studio 4: Spherical Entanglements
2022-2023
Axonometric overview
To understand the site, Port Edgar, “care“ must be taken into consideration as the historically rich Naval Base took part as a form of a carer throughout the many years of service.
This brief looks to explore the possibility of responding to the idea of “care” through physically caring for the existing buildings, the environment and functionality it brings to the community.
Site model at 1:500
Caring for the children in Queensferry with a daycare centre that focuses on stimulating senses in an immersive manner with the idea of play as a focal point.
Adoping the uses of a daycare centre - a space for children to climb, run, nap, paint with materials and forms that allows the space to be moulded and manipulated to each individual children. Exaggerating and amplifying freedom, creativity and imagination, ultimately creating a utopian, limitless space for children.
All rooms in the daycare centre will be interconnected giving children the freedom to roam around each space in their own path. Essentially becoming a big indoor playground that can be catered to each individual children.
Responding to “care and conflict” with a shielding structure, physically covering and care over the existing barracks.
- DESIGN PROCESS -
Site analysis
During our site visit fieldtrip to Port Edgar, the studio group took conducted a condition report of an assigned Barrack. While appreciating the historically rich Naval Barracks, the damaged on the exisitng buildings were noticable. The aim for the conditon survey was to identify areas where the building needs to be maintained - ways to care for an old structure. Including materiality decay, damaged pipes, vandalism etc. The Officer’s Complex - the largest Barrack to the West of the site was chosen to focus on specifically.
Programmatic study
The main programmes: bouldering room, crochet playground, classrooms and restaruants are identified and thoughtfully designed on the floor plan.
Crochet playground concept development
Climbing is one of the key movement in a playground and the bouldering space. Specifically in a crochet and bouldering environment, having to make and discover their own path to progress through the playground is crucial in being able to create a space that is adaptable to each individual children. Similar to the way Bernard Tschumi looked at the movement and usage around the site in the Superimposed Plan for Parc de la Villette, I looked at the forms that are created by lofting the lines on Rhino in various ways.
Form finding
Iterations of form finding where the internal space (crochet playground) informs the external form. The large canopy symbolises the “care” of the existing naval barrack, protecting the structure from the harsh, rainy days in Queensferry.
Timber woven roof development
Inspired by the Centre Pompidou-Metz, the canopy utilises a timber weaving method, interlocking two beams of the same dimensions to create a strong, durable yet fluid structure. Producing physical models at 1:50 and 1:10 allowed better visualisation and understanding of this joining method.
Structural strategy
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