Playgrounds Getsewoud Noord & Zuid


Carve

  • Status:

    Realized

  • Education level:

    Primary Education (pre-school + primary)

  • Address:

    Getsewoud Noord, Nieuw Vennep, Haarlemmermeer
    Getsewoud Zuid, Nieuw Vennep,

  • Client:

    gemeente Haarlemmermeer

  • Keywords:

    Masterplan, Community school, School grounds

  • Programme:

    Noord: three schoolyards, an outdoor space for afterschool childcare and a large parking area Zuid: three school playgrounds and a public playing area

  • Completion:

    2006


Innovation, multifunctionality and sustainability in each playing environment

From its own vision on playing in the public space, Carve adopts a multidisciplinary approach to innovation, multifunctionality and sustainability in each project. The basic principle is (apparently) simple: “The public space belongs to everybody and children should be able to play and move safely here.”

Innovation implies the constant search for an improved quality of playing and diversity in the outdoor space. Each location and the corresponding spatial and social circumstances require a specifi c solution. Multifunctionality means designing for different age groups, which each have their own specific individuality. This results in multifunctional elements that are designed specifi cally for the occasion and which pose a challenge to the different age groups. Sustainability also plays a key role in each design. On the one hand this implies choices of materials and aspects of maintenance. However, it mainly means designing several integrated functions for various user groups. Thanks to the integrated design, each playground lasts longer.

The playgrounds of Getsewoud Noord and Zuid perfectly illustrate this vision and these basic principles

A long strip with various ‘play cubes’

To realise the community school Getsewoud Noord three primary schools and an after-school childcare facility have been joined together on a very small strip. It was very diffi cult to provide separate equivalent outdoor space for each party involved. That is why the architects opted to join all the outdoor spaces into one single long strip.

Along the front square on the south side, a strip of ‘play cubes’ was provided. In front of each school a custom-made ‘play cube’ was placed as an identifying mark. The play cubes together with the wooden fences, demarcate the front square. For children aged under 6, smaller ‘play cubes’ with a sand pit and a slide are available. For the older children, the cubes are designed with sitting and loitering spaces. Because of their southern orientation these ‘play cubes’ also provide shade.

Between the ‘play cubes’ and the buildings suffi cient space is left to move about freely. Each school also has 2 long ‘picnic tables’. These are ideal for outdoor lessons.

For the after-school childcare the architects designed a large cube with a podium, high platforms, swings and slides. At the north side of the building a basketball court has been constructed as well as ramps and rails for skateboarders.

Extension of the playing area by connecting the school playground and the public playing area

Five years after the buildings had been realised, the schoolyard of the broad school Getsewoud Zuid was in need of a redesign and renovation. There were a number of great disadvantages to the previous situation: mobility problems with the bringing and picking up of about 900, a lack of space for the younger children, high maintenance costs and some playground equipment was never being used.

To give the large playgrounds the needed small scale feeling, the landscape architect divided the squares in three strips, with trees and benches for subtle demarcation. The smaller squares for young children are slightly sloping with height differences up to one metre. In the middle sand zones and play equipment. This creates some sort of ‘microcosmos’.

The playgrounds for the older children are kept almost entirely free to leave suffi cient space to move around and play. On one side a vertical play ‘wall’ is positioned with a goal, a slide, and play opportunities for 30 children.

During the design process, the landscape architects convinced the municipality to use this unique opportunity to connect the schoolyard and the adjacent public playing area. This substantially increases the playing area of the children in this built-up suburb. As a result, no strict boundaries are put between both squares, and the public playgournd now offers space for ball games, playhills and skating rails.