Last weekend I was fortunate to be invited to address the Rotary District Conference in Methven, New Zealand. I talked to the 300 + assembled members about design for health and well-being. The group was mixed in terms of age, sex and profession. Some were farmers, there were also business people, people in manufacturing in tourism, doctors, architects, engineers, accountants, retailers and wholesalers. A really diverse group. What they share in common is a desire to serve their communities and make the world a better place. So it was natural that I offer some ideas for how they could collaborate with the people on the ground, engage their communities, and put their considerable talents and energy to good use.
Rotary International worked to eradicate polio. They work on programmes that affect the health and well-being of people in many different ways. Health and well-being through environmental, economic and social enhancement is central to the ethos of Greenstone Design. How we achieve that, on limited budgets and often in tight time frames requires us to get creative. When we're not creating sensory- rich gardens we like to create spaces for play.
Natural play is a wonderful thing. It takes very little by way of manufactured resources but requires us to allow a little mess and creativity. Central to enjoying a sense of well-being is being able to play, freely, to explore, to create, challenge ourselves, try out new things, test our confidence and make new friends in safe surroundings. There is a wonderful short video showcasing the collaborative design process.
I'm heading off to Moscow, Russia, next week to design a natural playground. We were fortunate to win the design competition with our concept for nature play, set within a massive manufactured space. I will post photos when I have some. The client is a large international school that caters for 3-19 year olds. Our design aims to improve the cognitive functioning of the children, counter any potential for depression by being an expressive space where children are encouraged to engage with nature on a daily basis. It also acknowledges our biophilia, our in-built love of living things. It's a fun project that allows me to play; at this stage with ideas, and in a few months, alongside the children in their new natural play space.
Rotary International worked to eradicate polio. They work on programmes that affect the health and well-being of people in many different ways. Health and well-being through environmental, economic and social enhancement is central to the ethos of Greenstone Design. How we achieve that, on limited budgets and often in tight time frames requires us to get creative. When we're not creating sensory- rich gardens we like to create spaces for play.
Natural play is a wonderful thing. It takes very little by way of manufactured resources but requires us to allow a little mess and creativity. Central to enjoying a sense of well-being is being able to play, freely, to explore, to create, challenge ourselves, try out new things, test our confidence and make new friends in safe surroundings. There is a wonderful short video showcasing the collaborative design process.
I'm heading off to Moscow, Russia, next week to design a natural playground. We were fortunate to win the design competition with our concept for nature play, set within a massive manufactured space. I will post photos when I have some. The client is a large international school that caters for 3-19 year olds. Our design aims to improve the cognitive functioning of the children, counter any potential for depression by being an expressive space where children are encouraged to engage with nature on a daily basis. It also acknowledges our biophilia, our in-built love of living things. It's a fun project that allows me to play; at this stage with ideas, and in a few months, alongside the children in their new natural play space.
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