Landscape architects go back to the playground

TWO landscape architecture students from MMU will be making a real difference to their community after redesigning the playground at a local primary school.

Tom Daggers and Alican Gokmen, who are both in their third year, were approached by Penny Crinson, the assistant head teacher of St Paul’s Primary School, in Withington, who asked if they would be interested in designing a playground for the nursery area. After a few meetings they were invited to redesign the whole playground.

The project is particularly important to Tom, as he has two children who attend the school.

He said: “We were obviously very happy that the design was accepted, but we realise that there is still a long way to go before the design is constructed. We are hopeful that this will not be too distant in the future and we are very appreciative of the chance to be part of a project like this and value the experience greatly.”

Vital skills

Both students applied skills learned on their course to the project.

Tom said: “The course has given us skills that are vital to any landscape architecture project. We were able to analyse the space, we feel, quite successfully. We have learned in the course how to design logically and with reason, which was very important as when we came to the point where we had to present our concept we were confident about answering the questions we were asked.”

External projects such as this one give students the opportunity to communicate their ideas to people not working in architecture, which can often be a challenge. Both Ali and Tom said they learned a lot from the experience of presenting to parents and governors.

Tom said: “The biggest challenge we faced was trying to understand the needs of the school and pupils whilst maintaining the integrity of our design. There were times when we were having trouble communicating our ideas to different types of people and we had to work out the best way to do this, which was something that was new to us.”

Creative and innovative

Penny Crinson said: “As a school we wanted to develop our outside environment, and in conversation with Tom we found he was studying for a landscape architecture degree and could help us with some designs as part of his assignment work.

“We feel the designs have been creative and innovative and Tom and Ali listened to our ideas and have been happy to adjust them. We are now looking at how to take the designs forward, but certainly we want to try and use some key elements of their design.”

Eddy Fox, project leader for landscape architecture, said: “I have been incredibly impressed with the initiative of these students and their ability to deal with a very tricky and diverse client group. Under difficult circumstances they have produced a very strong design which responds well to the concerns of both staff and pupils at the school, and have managed to win over an often sceptical staff team to support their ideas in full.”