AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.06.1994, Qupperneq 64

ANNA H. YATES
ENGLISH SUMMARY
This issue of Arkitektúr, Verktækni
og skipulag (Architecture, Technol-
ogy and Planning) focusses on chil-
dren’s play areas and their facilities.
Page 11 PLAYGROUNDS - THEN
AND NOW
In the past, a gravel area with swings
and seesaws was regarded as ad-
equate for children to play. Today,
many different specialists have a part
to play in creating a safe yet stimulat-
ing environment for children to play in.
Page 13 1944-1994 - PLAY-
GROUNDS IN REYKJAVÍK
A summary of developments over the
fifty years since the foundation of the
Republic of lceland in 1944. In the
later 1940s, Reykjavík had 15 play-
grounds. By 1971, there were 50 open
playgrounds in the city, and super-
vised playgrounds numbered 30.
Playgrounds have developed from
simple gravel areas with swings, see-
saws, etc, while today the emphasis
is on creating a mixed area with grass,
natural features, and a variety of play
equipment.
Page 17 OUTDOOR PLAY
Pre-school teacher Kolfinna Bergþóra
Þorsteinsdóttir writes about the impor-
tance of creative and imaginative
games in children’s development, and
suggests the features of an ideal play
area, which stimulate the child’s im-
agination, and also encourage plenty
of healthy physical activity.
Page 20 THE SCHOOL PLAY-
GROUND
Today, school playgrounds are gen-
erally designed and completed as
soon as the school is built, reflecting
the importance of these play areas,
both in school hours and at other
times. The school playground has a
role to play in encouraging more
physical activity among youngsters, to
compensate for hours of TV and eat-
ing too many sweets. The playground
should be designed to be usable
throughout the year as far as possi-
ble. The example is taken of the
Setberg school.
Page 24 STANDARDS FOR PLAY-
GROUND EQUIPMENT
Ármann Ingason writes about the work
being carried out within the European
standards commission (CEN) to cre-
ate a code of standards for play-
ground equipment. In lceland, atech-
nical committee has considered the
first draft of the code, and made vari-
ous suggestions for amendments and
additions faces is based upon an as-
sessment of the risk of a fall, and from
what height. The correct surface ma-
terials, used according to the code,
should go far to prevent injuries.
Page 33 ACCIDENTS TO CHIL-
DREN IN PLAYSCHOOLS AND
SUPERVISED PLAYGROUNDS IN
REYKJAVÍK AND KÓPAVOGUR
Herdís L. Storgaard of the lcelandic
Life-saving Association describes a
survey carried out in playschools and
supervised playgrounds, to assess the
injuries sustained by children in play-
ground accidents, in order to find the
best means of preventing accidents.
The survey produced a clear indica-
tion of risk factors.
Page 36 BARNASMIÐJAN
Hrafn Ingimundarson writes about the
range of multiple-use playground
equipment, "castles,” manufactured
by Barnasmiðjan for schools, play-
schools, and other playgrounds.
Page 39 SMALL SHELVES
Free-standing shelf units designed by
Gunnar Magnússon.
Page 40 PLAYSCHOOL
GROUNDS AT EGGERTSGATA,
REYKJAVÍK
Landscape architect Pétur Jónsson
describes the outdoor play area of a
playschool in Reykjavík, completed in
1993. He points out that the space al-
lowed for playgrounds (including this
one) is far too limited, and that plan-
ners must allocate much more outdoor
play space for playschools.
Page 41 PLAYGROUND OF AN
APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT
The apartment development is located
on a steeply-sloping site in Kópavogur.
The play area was designed to be vis-
ible as far as possible from all apart-
ments, and to provide play facilities
for all age groups, separated off from
motor traffic. A sledge-slope is used
by all age groups in winter. This block
received a municipal award for its sur-
roundings in 1991.
Page 43 DESIGN POLICY OF PUB-
LIC BODIES
Public debate on design and the man-
made environment has been growing
in lceland. Arkitektúr verktækni og
skipulag asked various public bodies
to explain their policy on design and
environment; their answers appear on
pages 44-53:
Page 44 THE CITY OF REYKJAVÍK
The city will construct new buildings
foratotal of ISK1.500 million in 1994.
Its policy is to build in harmony with
existing solutions, but also to be inno-
vative. All planning takes place in col-
laboration with the individual body
which is to use the finished structure.
Page 45 THE UNIVERSITY OF ICE-
LAND
The University emphasises the as-
pects of practicality and long life for
its buildings, as well as social and
other aspects. The University uses the
services of specialised designers.
Page 46 THE STATE ALCOHOL MO-
NOPOLY (ÁTVR)
The number of state alcohol stores has
risen in the past five years from 12 to
21. The aim has been to create an
image for the stores in keeping with
the fact that the product sold is a
highly-taxed luxury. Most stores are
now in self-service form. The ÁTVR
has, however, given designers a rela-
tively free hand in the design of indi-
vidual outlets. The recent economic
recession is reflected in a less opu-
lent approach to alcohol store design.
Page 47 LANDSVIRKJUN - THE
STATE ELECTRICAL COMPANY
The company, which harnesses hydro
and geothermal power to generate
electricity, inevitably causes disruption
to the environment. The company’s
policy, however, is to minimise such
disruption to plant and animal life, and
to create new areas of vegetation by
planting. The company is also intro-
ducing a new system of internal qual-
ity management which will improve the
company’s environmental policy-mak-
ing. However, no consistent policy has
yet been created by government on
the exploitation of resources in the
uninhabited interior uplands.
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