Built for the International Garden Festival at Grand-Metis, Quebec, this play area takes off the shelf products and proposes new uses for them. These products are designed for potentially dangerous conditions and situations, but are turned playful in the Safe Zone design.
Poured in place rubber surfacing, plastic warning strips, traction mats, and goal post bumpers are the materials of everyday landscapes. They make up transit platforms, sports fields, sidewalks, and playgrounds.
This installation plays with topography, creating a undulating synthetic surface that activates the groundplane. This topography is woven into an existing stand of trees. The result is a space that is fluid in definition and purpose, inviting unconstructed imagination, exploration, and experimentation.
80% of the synthetic materials that make up this play environment are recycled or salvaged. The surface is also permeable, allowing water to penetrate it to irrigate tree roots and recharge the water table.
