Entry deadline extended to Sunday 22 November


As this is an international competition and time zones vary, we have decided to extend the deadline of the competition to Sunday 22 November.

COMPETITION BRIEF AND RULES  

Download the Competition Brief (PDF)

LAPPSET INTERNATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION 2009

Competition duration: 2nd of November 2009 – 20th of November 2009.

The subject of the competition is:
“CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT PLAYGROUNDS”

Lappset Group is a well-known producer and developer of alternative playgrounds and they are organizing an open for all design competition. This will be an international competition open to all including those interested in the field of landscaping from students to professionals alike. The participants are invited from a wide range of the Design Profession: Landscape Architects, Architects, Urban Planners, Designers, Graphical Designers etc. and naturally the students and amateurs in this field. All ideas are welcome but the more innovative and outlandish the better. The competition is free of charge and only requires registration to participate.

THE ORGANISER:

Lappset Group Ltd. is one of the leading manufacturers of playground equipment worldwide. Our products bring joy to millions of children and adults in more than 40 countries. In the year 2010 Lappset is celebrating the Company´s 40th anniversary.

THE COMPETITION DESCRIPTION:

The aim of this competition is to challenge traditional playground concepts. Lappset is looking for new, inspiring, brave and out of the box ideas for future Playgrounds. Lappset warmly welcomes imaginative and wild solutions where shape and form are combined with the beauty of landscape architecture. The core idea is to create a place where children, teens and elderly people can meet with each other - a meeting point that unites and engages three different family generations.

The competition is divided into two categories. The first category is for the playground area which is limited to a ground space of 20 metres squared (20mx20m). The second category is for the playground equipment each of which can be no more than two metres high and must fall within a ground area of four metres squared (4mx4mx2m). The participants can enter their proposal for either or both categories. Additionally, where all aspects of the playground design are to be covered then the participants are more than welcome to form design groups and submit a proposal collectively.

The language of the Competition is English.

3 GENERATIONS PLAYGROUND PHILOSOPHY:

Lappset's 3 Generations Playground concept is intended to encourage people to think about playgrounds from a totally new perspective. Rather than solely fulfilling the criteria of play for young children, Lappset believes that the playground plays a vital part in family and community interaction and should be inviting to people of all ages and gender to play and enjoy.

The core of the 3 Generations Concept is indiscrimination. Traditional and somewhat artificial conceptions about children, teens and adults are broken. Rather than adults and teens being just passive, or even somewhat anxious, observers to the playful delights of children, the aim is for them to be active participants who are also having fun.

Every piece of equipment in the area should be multifunctional and accessible to everyone regardless of there size, gender or age. The 3 Generations Concept takes into consideration the physical as well as the social side of play. The area and the equipment should stimulate the imagination and encourage people toward the imaginative discovery of the multilevel world of play. 3 Generations Playground enhances the unity of the community and builds a positive social context.

TWO COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

There are two competition categories. Participants can submit work for one or both categories.

Category 1: Playground Area Design

The participants are asked to design a playground. We welcome inspiring and audacious views of future playgrounds that invite people together to play and socialise regardless of their age. The playground area is limited to a ground area of 20x20 metres.

Category 2: Playground Equipment Design

The participants are asked to design some equipment for playgrounds with the thought of “one size fits all”. This means that the equipment should fit the needs of all 3 Generations, to all ages for children as well as adults. We are expecting designs that challenge traditional and conventional concepts, wild ideas and imaginative shapes and design. In the choice of material we would recommend the use of natural environmentally friendly materials. The maximum dimensions of the Playground Equipment are 4x4x2 metres (LxWxH).

NOTICE: In the case where all aspects of the criteria are covered in either or both categories, the participants are encouraged to form design groups.

The participants are invited to submit one work for each category so that the Playground and the Equipment together form a unique combination of the future Playground concept.

PRIZES:

The main prize will be rewarded to the best work judged by the Competition Jury. The winning work may be from either category or a work where both of these are combined.

- The Main Prize is 5.000€
- The Second Prize is a trip to Rovaniemi Finland hosted by the Lappset Group (value approx. 1.000€)
- The Third Prize is a trip to Rovaniemi Finland hosted by the Lappset Group (value approx. 800€)

In the case where the winning entry is a group effort, then it will be up to the members of that group to decide how the prize money is divided between members. Each of the Travel Prizes (Second and Third Prizes) are a fully Lappset organized trip for a maximum of two persons and a three day trip to Rovaniemi inclusive of flights, other travel costs, accommodation and programme. Detailed information of this will be delivered to the winners personally. In addition to these prizes, it is very likely that the winners will receive a great deal of publicity in the field of Landscape Architecture and international media.

ACTUALISING THE WINNING WORK:

The intention of the Lappset Group is to actualize the winning work. Should the winning work be part of the Category 2 (Playground Equipment Design), the Lappset Group will install it at least in England, France, Germany and Finland. Unfortunately the Lappset Group cannot guarantee to actualize the winner of the Category 1 (Playground Area Design) work. This is due to practicalities concerning Landscape Architectural rules, regulations and permits covering this area of urban planning. Nevertheless, the Lappset Group can promise that if the winning work is from Category 1, Lappset will do its utmost to actualize the work in one European country, where Lappset has production or sales facilities.

THE WINNING WORK AND PRODUCTION:


In addition to the above Prizes, Lappset Group reserves the right to adopt one or more of the participating works from the Playground Equipment Category into the product-line of the Lappset range. When using this option the Lappset Group will make a separate agreement for rights management and other related issues with the designer. In conjunction with this, Lappset will have exclusive rights for every participating work until the end of the year 2010.

THE JURY:

Harry Harsema
Landscape Architect, Editor of Scape Magazine and the Dutch yearbook for Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, publisher of Blauwdruk Publishers

Riikka Juntunen
M.Sc in Sports
Project Manager Design for all, Finnish Sports Federation

Thomas R. Müller
M.A. (Magister Artium)
Chief Editor of Playground@Landscape magazine

Manuel Sousa
Master in Patrimony and Tourism
Landscape Architect, Póvoa de Lanhoso County Council

Hannu Ylinenpää
B.Sc Marketing
Marketing Director, Lappset Group Ltd.

DESIGN CRITERIA:

This competition is intended to search for ground breaking, imaginative and even down right audacious solutions for future playgrounds and playground equipment.
The Jury will reward works that shine with creativity and innovation in an original and engaging manner in form, design or technical design as well as in social meaning. The core of this competition is the 3 Generations Playground philosophy as erstwhile mentioned.


REGISTRATION:

There is no pre-registration. The participants will register while submitting the competing work. The Competing works can ONLY be submitted in the Competition web pages www.rethingkingplayground.com. The Registration Competition form can be found in the Competition web pages. The identity of the participants will not be revealed to the Judges until the winner has been chosen.

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY:

Every participant or participating team can submit a maximum of four works to the Competition. While submitting the works the following rules are to be observed.

The competing work must be saved in PDF- format in the www.rethingkingplayground.com. The participating works may not have been published before in any shape or form neither is the participant allowed to publish the participating work nor part of it before the Competition has closed and the winning work has been announced.

The Lappset Group Ltd. retains the right for minor modifications to the winning work whilst trying not to compromise the originality of the work. These modifications may be required due to legal or regulatory rules of safety. These modifications will be sought to be ratified with the co-operation of the participant.

The initial copyright of the participating work remains with participant or participants. The participant and or the participants agree that with submission of work, the organizer, Lappset Group Ltd. is allowed exclusive use of design. This option remains until the end of the year 2010. The participants are allowed to use their works after the announcement of the winning work for their own personal promotional needs.

Should the Lappset Group wish to utilise their option, the Lappset Group Ltd. and the participant will make an agreement that provides exclusive rights for production purposes without limitations and the transferring of the rights for the work to Lappset. This applies to all participating works, even if the work is not announced as a winner or runner up.

The Lappset Group is entitled to use participating works in their publications, advertising or any other form of publicity. They are entitled to organize exhibition or similar events of the participating works in their web pages or in any country in the world without additional agreement.

With submission the participant or the participants agree to fully comply with all of the competition brief and rules..

All the participating works must be originals. The participant or participants are the owners of the design work and hereby declare that no part of the work is copied or otherwise breaks rules of international copyright. Furthermore the participants are the original Designers of the submitted work. Only entries with a declaration of authorship are accepted.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES:

The Competing works must be submitted by the 20th of November, 2009. Works must be submitted on the web at www.rethinkingplayground.com.
Submissions by other means will be excluded from this competition.

QUESTIONS:

Mr. Hannu Ylinenpää, Marketing Director Lappset Group Ltd., will provide more information about the Competition. Hannu.ylinenpaa@lappset.com. Lappset Group Ltd. Tel. +358(0)207 750 101