Schools association Noorderbasis approached us to think about the design of the schoolyard for the middle and upper structure of the Calvijn school in Groningen. The teachers and the children had a wish list, but also a number of dilemmas. The result: a design with a versatile range of games for every child, taking into account the limiting factors that played a role.
More than 130 children play at the same time on the square, which means that not all children found enough challenge on the existing square. Our vision for designing a challenging schoolyard for the 4 game types of children (following the DISC Modell) perfectly matched the vision of the school. Football was an important wish of the children, but caused problems on the current square due to the limited space. Where initially a football cage was the wish, a smart, more suitable solution was chosen in consultation. A football cage would soon take up 1/3 of the square, while only 10% of the number of children can play at the same time.
In the design our designers have devised a multifunctional playing field with 2 × 4 bollards, so that 16 children can play football at the same time. Handball, hockey, bowling or traditional square games are also possible. Plenty of possibilities for the rauwers to get rid of their energy. Despite the limited space, we have given substance to the game of builders through flower boxes. Children can plant and maintain the flower boxes themselves. The outside class serves as a chill spot for the viewers and challenging play grounds have been included in the design for the viewers.
The school is very satisfied with the design and after a few minor adjustments, the square was realized during the summer holidays. The school has been refurbished and the name has since been changed to: The Palette, school with the Bible. Upon completion it turned out that the teachers themselves also gave extra interpretation to playing for the builders: by purchasing bamboo sticks with elastics that children can use to make structures. Among other things, the flower boxes contain edible plants that regularly disappear between sandwiches and football no longer causes nuisance. It has become a challenging and versatile square where all children can play to their heart’s content!