Why centre an entire issue on designing playful environments and products that evoke wonder and curiosity? Our editor in chief Floor Kuitert explains.
In Haarlem, a Dutch city close to Amsterdam known to attract young families (including mine), there is no shortage of playgrounds. But the playground is a typology under threat, especially in dense urban areas. Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant reports that, in city planning, purpose-built play spaces often lose out to parking spaces tied to new developments, even though they are crucial for social cohesion and wellbeing. Beyond playgrounds, child development specialists argue that the concept of free play itself is endangered, too. Some have even suggested that it should be recognized and protected as part of our cultural heritage.
As we learned while creating this issue – which celebrates creativity, ingenuity and joy in design – opportunities for play can, however, be integrated into the urban fabric and extend beyond dedicated areas alone, both indoors and out. The founders of London-based studio McCloy + Muchemwa, who we interview in our Ones to Watch section, for example, believe that the best play spaces are hybrids – part landscape, part sculpture, part architecture – that offer layers of interaction and blend seamlessly into their surroundings. Together with, among others, 100Architects (also featured), whose installations serve as city-scale toys that invite social engagement, the practice shows how we can enhance the city and its public spaces in a way that integrates play more naturally into everyday urban life. And in our Insights section, we explore how changing consumer and societal values are bringing play into the retail, hospitality and residential sectors.
So why have we chosen to centre an entire issue on designing environments and products that evoke emotions such as joy, wonder and curiosity? Furthermore, why advocate for incorporating elements of surprise, spontaneity and limitless thinking into design processes? As mentioned in my previous editorial, the initial inspiration emerged during the grand jury session for our FRAME Awards. (For your information, a new edition is already in full swing, so if you’re interested in joining the jury deliberations as an expert or submitting your project, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.) It was during these discussions that an ‘escapist shift’ was identified within the industry – a movement towards more cheerful, fantastical and optimistic expressions in design, reflecting a collective need to embrace the lighter side of life in challenging times. This may seem somewhat superficial, perhaps even indifferent; however, as we assembled this issue, it became clear that it is anything but. One of the factors driving the global conversation around the human psychology of designing ‘joyful spaces’ is a growing awareness of mental health. As our contributing editor Riya Patel notes in her discussion with two academics, emotional wellbeing is closely linked to the built environment. Dr Robert Schmidt III, an academic at Loughborough University in the UK, argues that design should consider emotion as a fundamental function. His university is developing a Master’s course that delves deeper into the relationship between the built environment and individuals, exploring the emotional, cognitive and behavioural experiences associated with it.
The shift towards designing for joy and emotional wellbeing extends beyond aesthetics; it taps into something more fundamental – our innate need for play. While the elements that bring us joy in the built environment may not be universal, the intrinsic desire for joy is. Across diverse cultures, age groups and even species, play is fundamental to human development, creativity and wellbeing. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Or, as Daniel Valero, founder of Mexican studio Mestiz, emphasizes, playfulness is neither frivolous nor functionless – it’s essential.
So there’s the why. Now it’s time for you to dive in our latest issue and discover the how.
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