It is a tenet of heritage interpretation, that a different communication approach is required for children as for adults. For children, information takes second place to new experiences and animation. The Basdorf primary school had no motto or logo, so we created Kaspar the Kiefer to greet the children arriving through the school gate. Pinus sylvestris is so ubiquitous around Basdorf that the idea of making a celebrity of it was at first greeted with groans from the staff. But they are really beautiful trees and their normality here is exactly what makes them special. Kids spend enough time seated in their classrooms or at home. As a direct result of this, over 80% of their accidents are caused by insufficient motoric co-ordination.

These playground “seating arrangements” are also for standing on, balancing on, and jumping over and so on. By retaining the organic curves of the stem it was made from, it could inspire some fantasy games too. The objects are all based on aspects of the humble pine. At the end of the project we presented the school with a CD of Kaspar cartoons for use in newsletters and on their homepage.

In assoc. with Schrickel + Partner Landschaftsarchitekten.