Abstract:
Visiting my grandparents in their sunny retirement apartment, they invited me to participate in an ACC exercise class in the village. At the time I did not have a great desire to attend the class, instead, I opted for a short walk up Mount Maunganui. Once I had returned I became aware that due to their fragile bodies, my grandparents participated in the slower paced exercise class to keep their bodies active thus demonstrating the lack of active play areas that the elderly can involve themselves in. This provides an opportunity to use the tool of architecture to develop a resolution, integrating active play areas for young adults (like myself) to exercise and play alongside the elderly (my grandparents). Through training and observing young athletes in gymnastics and being an athlete in the sport myself, I have always had an interest in the manner in which children gain and train their motor skills. This thesis looks to unravel how Aucklanders, no matter their age or ability can immerse themselves into the city’s built environment to play. Traditionally the typology of a playground is used to promote play in the built environment, however, the definition of a playground will be critiqued. The term play is used throughout this thesis as the active function in which people participate in recreational activities. Walkability, in urban design, is understood as how one can travel independently through a city. Instead of specifically defining walkability, this thesis will define mobility within the built environment as it is not limiting to one mode of movement. Mobility is to be referred to at the scale that an individual would encounter the city as in their own single entity, excluding vehicles and public transportation, without being limited to exclusively walking, instead encouraging a wider range of motions and movement.