Panda Forest Adventure Outdoor Playground is built in the BASIS International School, Chengdu, China, and the project is based on the site’s original design, plan, and features to recreate and design by Cowboy Group. At the same time, Cowboy decided to build a panda-themed kindergarten outdoor playground based on the local characteristics of Sichuan, so that pandas can accompany the children to grow up.
Overview Layout
Design Concept
When the Cowboy Group design team started this project, they all agreed to highlight the characteristics of the school with dedicated distinction and feelings. Therefore, on the basis that the project site is located in Sichuan, the hometown of pandas, the designer quickly came up with the idea ofa panda theme. In addition, the school outdoor children’s play area incorporates elements such as giant pandas and spring bamboo shoots into the whole design, it forms a complete dynamic game story line to help children explore the children’s playground, exercise their learning and hands-on skills, and reflect the characteristics of Basis International School.
In the Kindergarten Panda Forest Adventure Outdoor Playground, the kids incarnate the little panda keepers and start the journey of adventure with little pandas. First of all, the kids and little pandas come to the Panda Theme Water Playground where the water pool runs with clear water after rain. They play together in the water pool, which is full of a joyful and cheerful atmosphere. Next, the kids and little pandas arrive at the Panda Theme Adventure Park. Here, the kids wear off the hats of keepers and feed on the pandas. However, the pandas particularly want to eat the delicious spring shoots, therefore, the kids as the panda keepers, lead the pandas across the forest arriving at the place with many spring shoots. The pandas feel very happy when they eat their favored spring shoots. After the pandas have eaten and drunk enough, they come to the Panda Music Play Area. Under the touching notes issued by the tapping music equipment, the little panda is getting closer and closer to the children. After a day of exploration and play, the children and the little panda are also exhausted, and soon the children and the little panda lie in the warm arms of the panda mother to have a warm and beautiful dream.
Around the design theme of the kindergarten outdoor playground and the story line of the design theme, the color collocation originates from the green of the forest and the blue of the lake. The blue symbolizes the dream set sailing, while the green stands for nature. Besides, the park applies dark gray, deep blue and white as the main supplement colors. The dark-colored is beneficial to light up the site with color, while white can calm the restlessness of the child’s character. In addition, the embellishment of orange and yellow can make the entire kindergarten more warm and light.
Original Planning Analysis and Scheme Upgrading
BASIS International School Chengdu has some basic children outdoor play equipment in its original site, but the type of equipment is single, the expansion is too simple, the playability is low, the design theme is not obvious, and the equipment protection is lacking. In view of the original layout and landscape design and planning of the school, Cowboy Group decided to reserve and upgrade it to present the best design at the lowest cost. Hence, the new upgrading planning scheme will start with the theme of panda forest adventure, add some children outdoor play equipment, and pair it with fresh and natural colors, creating a kindergarten campus full of adventure and mystery.
Functional Partition and Matching Equipment
As we all know, a reasonable arrangement of functional zones can effectively improve space utilization. The design team of Cowboy Group makes full use of the ground planning pattern as the boundary dividing different areas, which is not only easy to manage but also can enrich the viewing level of the kindergarten park. Therefore, the Panda Forest Adventure Outdoor Playground according to the above division will be divided into four functional zones, including Panda Theme Water Playground, Panda Theme Adventure Park, Panda Music Play House and Warmth Panda Series Play Area.
Firstly, the Panda Theme Water Playground adopts the Lotus Pond Moonlight Water Conservancy Project as this area’s design philosophy, taking the lotus leaf, lotus, and other related elements to implant the water play equipment, so as to present a unique and colorful scene. At the same time, it also gives the children popular science about this water conservancy project and lets them know, recognize, and study the great creative spirit and the infinite intelligence in the human race’s cooperation and exploration.
Thirdly, the Panda Music Play Area has a Panda Music Play House that has a variety of musical play equipment, music game play equipment, and puzzle game play equipment. At the same time, the Panda Music Play House incorporates the animal and plant elements of the forest, which makes the area more in line with the design theme.
Finally, the Warmth Panda Series Play Area is a Micro-terrain play area. This area shows a panda mother building in colorful clothes hugging her baby panda and presenting a lying posture on the ground and adds some panda customized stainless steel slides on the panda mother building, which looks like a little panda sleeping in her mother’s warm arm and makes a beautiful dream. Besides, it is also equipped with some common climbing nets, rock climbing points, drilling holes, megaphones and so on. At last, on the outside of the panda mother building, there are also design patterns imitating colorful and sweet dreams, implying warmth and good dreams.
