Berlin – Rimbin is a project that has been designed to enable safe and socially distant play experiences for children.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in many children having to temporarily avoid communal play areas, Rimbin uses intelligent design to allow interaction while protecting from contagion. The result is a space comprising individual play areas clustered together like lily pads on a pond. Individual play areas also enable different types of play, with options including sandpits, seesaws, ladders and ‘horizontal hamster wheels’.
To create Rimbin, designers Martin Binder and Claudio Rimmele spoke to parents and children to ensure their needs were met. ‘Even though playgrounds have re-opened in Germany, playing together with unknown children cannot be as relaxed,’ explain the designers. ‘Children need interactive outdoor play. For them, the social and physical stimuli are necessary for physical and mental development, and to learn important social skills.’
Post Covid-19, Urban Wellness will become increasingly important, and communal areas will need to be designed around social distancing and hygiene protocol.