Joaquín Arretche and Agustín Correa, students in the Industrial Design program, won first prize in the MIEM/DNE/Antel Arena Competition for their design of a permanent public playground. The unique aspect of the project was that the design had to incorporate energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Inspired by wind energy, Arretche and Correa designed a merry-go-round powered by the children themselves. As it moves, energy is generated by a dynamo located inside the ride. “That energy lights up the lights located beneath the merry-go-round’s entrances, projecting the blades of a windmill onto the ground. The appeal of the ride is that it not only allows children to play inside the carousel but also lets those outside enjoy jumping around the blades reflected on the ground,” the students explained.
We created a design that, from both an aesthetic and functional standpoint, evokes wind power. Aesthetically, the carousel features a spiral design reminiscent of the rotation created by the blades of a windmill. This design creates an intriguing sense of infinity by simulating continuous rotation. From a functional standpoint, a dynamo will be installed at the center of the carousel to convert the energy generated by the children as they move the carousel into light energy.
The game designed by the future designers will be set in the outer space area of the Antel Arena. “We’re eager to participate and contribute to this next phase, as it will be another learning opportunity and will surely present us with new challenges to solve,” they said.
This was their first time designing a game for children. They had to research the users’ habits and customs. “Among other things, we had to visit parks and observe which games the children preferred, as well as understand how they played them. We also had to incorporate aspects related to biosafety guidelines and inclusive access into the design.”
This project was developed as part of the curriculum for the course Industrial Design 4 – Market, taught by professors Maximiliano Izzi and Pablo D’Angelo, during the sixth semester of the bachelor’s degree program.
D’Angelo noted that “it’s worth pointing out that this group of third-year students has always been a very cohesive class with a strong ability to come up with ideas.” These kinds of results, he noted, “encourage us to continue challenging students to take initiative, while we must adapt and stay attuned to the technological and conceptual changes occurring in the development of products and services, and how this impacts the profession.”
The aspiring designers said that “this project was a great learning experience,” as it presented several challenges: designing around a specific theme, such as renewable energy, which led them to research different sources—and that’s how the idea of incorporating a dynamo came about; coming up with a design that could be realistically produced; incorporating inclusive design principles with children with disabilities in mind; and developing a model that would appeal to children while also enhancing the public space. They noted that “the support from the teachers was very important,” as they guided them throughout the entire process and helped them “solve the various problems that arose.”
In total, 19 projects were submitted to the contest, four of which were from ORT students.
Our goal is to ensure that all the children who visit the site can enjoy playing while also learning about the importance of renewable energy. The idea that they themselves are the ones generating energy puts them in an active role in addressing the need for us all to care for the environment. The addition of lights will make it possible to illuminate the area, turning it into an attraction and allowing us to extend the hours during which the space can be used.