American psychologist James J. Gibson outlines his Theory of Affordances in his 1979 book ‘The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception’. He defines an affordance as “what it offers the animal, what it provides or furnishes, either for good or for ill” (Gibson, (2015) pp. 119).
An example of affordance-based-design are the post-war playgrounds of Aldo van Eyck in Amsterdam. These playgrounds embodied van Eyck’s humane approach to architectural design, “Aldo van Eyck’s humane architecture aimed at creating places that fostered dialog and stimulated community life in which children take part”. This humane approach allowed van Eyck to create an abstract form of playground in which predetermined functions did not exist.
An example of affordance-based-design are the post-war playgrounds of Aldo van Eyck in Amsterdam. These playgrounds embodied van Eyck’s humane approach to architectural design, “Aldo van Eyck’s humane architecture aimed at creating places that fostered dialog and stimulated community life in which children take part”. This humane approach allowed van Eyck to create an abstract form of playground in which predetermined functions did not exist.
“whereas conventional playground equipment, embedded in the social practices, almost “dictates’’ what children do, van Eyck’s abstract minimalist equipment seems to stimulate the creativity of children - it fosters the children to discover all the affordances it provides them” - (Withagen, et al. (2017) pp. 7).
It is this abstract humane approach that I wanted to introduce into the landscape of Berolina’s in-between spaces, and in doing so develop a space that not only fosters the imaginative nature of children but also teenagers, adults and the elderly alike.