48 Hour Inclusive Design Challenge, Seoul 2009
Jamsil Sports Complex, Seoul
12-14 October 2009
Sponsored and and co-organised by the British Council as part of their Creative Cities project and the Seoul Metropolitan Government
Team D
Team leader: Ben Davies (Rodd)
Design partner: Myun Sook Choi (poet)
The issue
In the past three years, Koreans over the age of 45 have started exercising outdoors in dedicated public spaces on simplified replicas of standard gym equipment. Here, people exercise using their own body mass as resistance, instead of weights. This is ideal for people who may feel excluded from indoor gyms. However, they may also create exclusion.
The team visited Lotte Magic Land Park, interviewed visitors and municipal workers and compared opinions with those of Sook, the team's design partner. She has cerebral palsy, is active in her spare time and regularly visits the park and uses its amenities. She could see benefits of the design ideas the team shared with her but pointed out a number of human subtleties that she felt were critical to Korean culture.
The older men that the team spoke to were anxious about the introduction of younger people to these spaces in case they hogged the equipment and were very noisy. All acknowledged the importance of socialising and said that exercise was an important part of their daily social routine. The team believe that careful design interventions can alleviate this anxiety and encourage active integration.
How does it work?
Woori Doori (meaning together) Park would encourage socialising by using interactive features such as bright colours and animation that reacts to touch, movement and sound. By sitting on a musical couch, or pulling on a helium balloon, the interaction would produce sound and light, enhancing the exercising experience. New exercising innovations would be designed to include older and disabled people.
The team were careful to respect long-standing Korean recreational habits where sub division and demarcation of space is important. The way in which the team implied sub division of the spaces aimed to encourage groups to come together.
The team proposes areas for families, young and older people, with tailored workouts. The children can interact with their family, who can also observe and interact with their elders.
It is hoped that by reconfiguring of these public spaces they will be used by the municipal authorities as a template for future outdoor exercise.
