by: Alexander Sundberg, Architect - MAA and Solution Design Manager, KOMPAN
Playground design: The new look of a reduced carbon footprint
There is a pressing need to shift away from using virgin raw materials when designing playgrounds, towards new and more sustainable alternatives. But how do novel materials affect our possibilities of designing functional and aesthetic playgrounds? Our expert offers a perspective.
The new look of playgrounds
If you have children, chances are that you have visited a playground or two. Perhaps you have wondered how very different modern playgrounds look, compared to the playgrounds you remember from your childhood? Today’s playgrounds are not just bigger and bolder, but they are meticulously designed with careful attention to safety and landscape aesthetics, incorporating scientifically proven methods for stimulating and challenging children.
Depending on where you live, modern playgrounds are also often colourful and inviting, signifying the role of modern playgrounds as important communal spaces. But as we highlight in our article "The footprint of a playground", modern playgrounds are also highly dependent on virgin raw materials like plastic and aluminium. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop and shift to more environmentally friendly alternatives – and the solutions are already here.
Modern playgrounds are highly dependent on virgin raw materials like plastic and aluminium. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop and shift to more environmentally friendly alternatives – and the solutions are already here.
Full design freedom
The question now is: How will new alternative materials for playgrounds affect the look and design freedoms of modern playgrounds?
To put it bluntly: Will playgrounds become… well… boring?
We asked our expert, Alexander Sundberg, Architect MAA and Solution Design Manager at KOMPAN.
– Like many landscape architects, I’ve come to know and enjoy the possibilities and design freedoms of steel, aluminium and plastic. These materials are flexible, sturdy and durable, and their benefits have seemed impossible to replicate in other materials. But luckily, as our research and development work show, no material is irreplaceable – not even steel or plastic, says Alexander Sundberg.
"All materials can be replaced - even steel and plastic."
Alexander Sundberg, Architect MAA and Solution Design Manager, KOMPAN
New alternatives
As you can read in the article "Greener playgrounds: Where durability meets safety", KOMPAN’s development of greener material alternatives has resulted in several breakthroughs. Like TexMadeTM playground posts made from textile waste, which can effectively replace the need for many steel and aluminium posts. Furthermore, new plastic alternatives have been developed using post-consumer waste like outworn fishing nets or plastic from household waste.
Rigorous testing has shown that the new materials are at least as durable and flexible as their predecessors. But how do the new materials fare when it comes to colours and shapes?
Colours and shapes play a crucial role in creating visually appealing and unique playgrounds. Strategic use of these design elements can influence children’s play behaviour and preferences. Bright, saturated colours attract children aged two to five, while older kids are drawn to more natural and muted tones. Shapes also influence children’s movements within playgrounds, leading them on exciting adventures and explorations. The good news is that landscape architects have the same design freedom with the greener material alternatives.
“Design freedom and increased sustainability are not mutually exclusive; they go hand in hand. Our playground solutions can be as colourful as your heart desires – but with a dramatically reduced carbon footprint.”
Alexander Sundberg, Architect MAA and Solution Design Manager, KOMPAN
Playground solutions can be as colourful as your heart desires
– We want to show our customers that design freedom and increased sustainability are not mutually exclusive; they go hand in hand. So, our playground solutions can be as colourful as your heart desires – but with a dramatically reduced carbon footprint, explains Alexander Sundberg. He stresses that for many projects, wood-based playground solutions will also be an attractive option.
– We’re seeing a movement towards integrating playgrounds more seamlessly into landscape and nature. Here, our certified hardwood Robinia playground solutions are an excellent choice as they blend harmoniously with the surrounding landscapes, he says. Robinia-based playgrounds – like their counterparts made from recycled materials – have a naturally low carbon footprint, Alexander Sundberg ends.
New | Online magazine
Designing Greener Playgrounds
Welcome to a discussion on the evolving landscape of playgrounds – an essential aspect of childhood that now takes a turn towards responsible materials and practices.
In this magazine we'll delve deeper into the specifics of these materials, exploring the benefits they bring to playground design and their positive influence on the overall environmental footprint of these spaces.
Explore, Learn, Design: Greener Playgrounds
The footprint of a playground
Playgrounds, integral to childhood development, often leave a substantial environmental footprint from raw material extraction to disposal. KOMPAN's Go Green Director, Dorthe Thorup-Kjærulff, sheds light on KOMPAN's commitment to transparency.
From waste to play value
KOMPAN acknowledges that around 80% of its carbon emissions result from the raw materials used. The company is actively seeking ways to diminish its environmental footprint. Learn more about the company's key initiatives.
The new look of a reduced carbon footprint
Architect Alexander Sundberg assures that TexMade™ posts and plastic alternatives, developed from textile waste and post-consumer sources, rival steel and plastic in durability. Playground solutions can be as colourful as your heart desires – but with a dramatically reduced carbon footprint.
Greener playgrounds: Where durability meets safety
KOMPAN's TexMade™ playground posts, crafted entirely from textile waste, prove their durability in extreme tests. Jacob Harder, KOMPAN's engineer, emphasizes the necessity of finding alternatives to traditional materials like steel and plastic.
Playgrounds with documented green benefits
Navigating corporate claims on climate impact is increasingly aided by third-party verified data. Tomas Riegels-Jørgensen of Bureau Veritas emphasizes the rising demand for understanding ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) activities.