Four BSc students: Andy Mattulat Filipovic, Björgvin Hjartarson, Jakob Kynding Kristensen, Kristine Børsting, and Signe Friis Schack have designed a DNA-shaped climbing frame during a first-semester course on the Design and Innovation programme.
“On the User-oriented design course (41010), we were asked to develop a playground product for the City of Copenhagen under the ‘play to learn’ theme.
Through our design process, we have developed a climbing frame representing a double-stranded DNA helix with moving base pairs as climbing bars to reflect the flexibility of DNA, and to make the play experience more exciting.
The DNA-inspired climbing frame was just one of our many ideas. We got the idea after having come across the subject of learning both in our fieldwork and during our research. We visited Experimentarium, among other places, and saw how play is an excellent way to learn.
One of the visions of our DNA helix has thus been to create the framework for good physical play activities with a learning aspect and—at the same time—introduce DNA through play. Older children may be able to recognize it from the classroom, while the young children will be introduced to it later. As part of the assignment, we have made two models with the assistance of DTU Skylab.
We have designed a scale 1:12 mock-up as well as a functional of a moveable part in scale 1:1. The base of the prototype is placed on a steel plate, on which we have glued a yoga mat to illustrate a safety mat. The stand is made of stainless steel and the rods are made of either steel or stainless steel covered with Plastercine to create the colours and give the feeling that they will be coated with something that is not metal. We find the DNA structure very aesthetic.”