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The Bench

Collaborative creation by local children and fathers, Café Mooi Wildeman and The Beach Bench, 2014

The bench is part of a larger project in which children, together with neighborhood fathers, created a play-landscape. During Café Mooi Wildeman (the think-and-do tank of the Wildeman neighborhood) in 2014, it became clear that the neighborhood lacks good play areas for children. Neighborhood fathers and their children enthusiastically came up with new solutions.

Ontwerpworkshop

In a series of workshops together with Buurtwerkplaats Noorderhof and designer Maartje Dros, a neighborhood playground was designed. The Nieuw-West district had designated a place where we were allowed to build the playground. The neighborhood residents and children participated throughout the entire design process, from initial sketches to implementation. This resulted in the design and co-creation of a play stage and benches. In the Makers Lab at Garage Notweg, children designed handles that were printed by a 3D printer. Parents and children participated throughout the entire design process, from initial sketches to implementation.

Speelpodium

The opening of the playground was a grand celebration. Together with Erik Bobeldijk, then a member of the Daily Board of the Nieuw-West district, we cut a ribbon to officially open the playground. The play stage, designed by the children themselves, was immediately put to use. The result of the co-creation between neighborhood children, designers, the school, and the district shows how you can beautify the neighborhood together. The children explained and demonstrated how they came up with games to keep the playground clean. While enjoying cookies and lemonade made by neighborhood mothers, many children celebrated and played at the joyful opening event

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