PROJECT: HUNGRY WORLD
*THE NEW CLASSROOM
This project challenges our conception of the classroom. In this age of ubiquitous information, modern classrooms must incorporate visceral and digital information that extends beyond a physical room. The classroom of the future will interweave traditional instruction and online resources with a narrative playground that viscerally teaches abstract lessons over a child’s elementary years. Integrating play with a thoughtful (and lucrative!) variety of tools enables children to understand complex lessons through a variety of media.
*A SCIENTIFICALLY LITERATE SOCIETY
The Hungry World playground teaches children the interconnectedness of living systems. This lesson is crucial to fostering a sense of responsibility for the environment. Specifically, Hungry World promotes the scientific literacy that informs environmental actions. Designed for use by children in all elementary grades, this playground based on the food chain is supported by a family of educational materials on the many ecosystems of our planet.
The goal of this project is to promote the scientific literacy as the foundational knowledge for an educated citizenry, environmental awareness and ultimately, an environmentally ethical society. Rather than focusing on materials, this project takes a new path to sustainability by using strategy and design as a vehicle for cultural change.
*A COMPLETE EDUCATIONAL SUITE
In the Hungry World Playground, young children learn about ecosystems by moving through modular structures that represent the food chain’s component actors: sun, plants, herbivores, carnivores, and decomposers. For children in later grades, printed educational materials, physical activities, and a website supporting teachers, administrators and students deliver more sophisticated materials. As a company and a brand, Hungry World expands into toys, games and other entertainment products.
The playground structures are abstract, enabling them to adapt to other lessons and configurations as educational needs evolve. The Hungry World business would then incorporate other lessons that reuse the tooling, web, and print infrastructure of this educational suite.
*MATERIALS
The Hungry World playground’s modular system is comprised of recycled aluminum, PETG from recycled water bottles, and poured-in-place recycled rubber.
*BUILDING EFFICIENCIES
- Modular shapes require less tooling and enable efficient manufacture and construction.
- Components of each structure are designed to be easily replaced and repaired.
- PETG and aluminum components can be taken back by the manufacturer and repaired or recycled to make new parts.
- Components are flat-packed, lowering shipping costs.
- Modular system is scalable to fit the needs of many different schools and play areas.
- Components are less than 4’ wide to accommodate machining from standard 4x8’ sheets.
