anjali grant design llc
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urban preschool playgrounds

12/29/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
Picture

The last time I traveled to Manhattan I visited a few preschools to observe how the urban condition affects preschool design. The most significant difference between schools in our region and those in NYC is the availability of outdoor space. Above are two play spaces tucked into the slivers of leftover land between multistory apartment buildings on the Upper West side. Although direct sun is minimal, daylight is nonetheless a powerful force. Note the mirror on the image to the right.
2 Comments
John link
10/7/2016 10:48:37 am

Did you have any insights on noise dampening during your visits? Our school next door is seeking approval for a (2nd) rooftop playground right outside our kitchen window. While we agree with the idea, the practicality for us is we work at home and this is going to double our noise levels and effect our apartment resale value. We feel it's fair to ask them to install acoustic dampening as part of the project. Any thoughts or suggestions? I see there are companies that specialize in this area, but not many that provide functional, yet poetic — human-centric solutions — the design and aesthetics are awful. A moss wall instead of vinyl blankets for example. Thoughts/suggestions you could share appreciated.

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Anjali link
10/7/2016 10:57:50 am

Hi John,
There are two aspects to acoustical design - noise blocking and noise absorption. Plants do a good job of absorption; there are a lot of good greenwall products out there now, even DIY wall planters. Any porous material will absorb sound. The vinyl blankets you're talking about - and I really don't like using vinyl near kids anyway - are probably mass-loaded vinyl, used to block sound. To block sound in a beautiful way, think mass - stone, earth berms, concrete - also well-designed windows. You might talk to them about your kitchen windows and whether they could be improved.

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    I'm a Seattle-based architect interested in spaces for early childhood.

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