🤝🌱 Within the framework of the RE-ACT Schools Project – “Transformation of Schoolyards to Combat Climate Change Effects and Promote Healthy and Active Environments” , Mataró has taken a crucial step toward redesigning the outdoor space for its youngest learners at the Escola Bressol Municipal Rocafonda.
📅 On 6 November 2025, the process of change, driven by science and community input, centred around an intensive Co-design Workshop aimed at engaging all key stakeholders in the future of their schoolyard. The day was a success, gathering 23 participants, including parents, educators, school administration, and political representatives. This broad engagement ensures the final design will be both technically sound and reflective of user needs.
💡 From Diagnosis to Vision
The co-design workshop followed a rigorous 5-step methodology: Observe, Understand, Reflection, Analyse, and Transform.
- Observation and Understanding: The preliminary work (Observe) focused on the current concerns and perception of the space. Participants described the schoolyard as “large, neglected, cold, easily vandalized,” and offering “few opportunities for personal development”.
- Analysis and Reflection: Daily experiences were shared (Reflection) to identify play dynamics and gaps in opportunities. The subsequent analysis focused on imagining the “ideal playground”. Key requirements identified were:
- User Needs: Sensory manipulation, discovery, motor skill challenges (walking, jumping, balance), autonomy, rest, and critical thermal and acoustic control.
- Space Requirements: Incorporation of different textures (earth, sand, grass), natural elements (trees, water), zoning using green barriers, and topography.
- Transformation: The final phase defined the general organization of the new schoolyard. The consensus was the necessity of including multifunctional elements that integrate play, vegetation, and biodiversity , with the goal of increasing the hours of playground use by encouraging new activities.
📍 Outlook, Future Work, and Timeline 🌍💚
Following the successful co-design session, the project is now entering the technical design phase to turn these collaborative ideas into reality. The design team is tasked with creating a first design proposal that reflects the derived conclusions. The anticipated project timeline is as follows:
- Designer Task: Create the first design proposal
- Definitive Approval of Design by March 2026
- Contract Signed (Tender Phase) by May 2026
- Implementation during summer 2026
