#child-friendly-design

#child-friendly-design

Located in Chicoutimi, Saguenay, l'ecole de l'Etincelle is a shining example of architecture firmly rooted in its context. The architectural approach rethinks the conventional school and proposes a scale that is friendly, accessible, and reassuring for children. Fragmented into small houses around a central courtyard, the architecture becomes familiar and warm, creating a calming and reassuring atmosphere that encourages students to love school and feel comfortable, just like at home.

IKEA's GREJSIMOJS collection started with a dog-shaped lamp that dims when you hold its head for bedtime, turning a light switch into something closer to petting a sleepy puppy. The limited collection is more than just about cute animals, but also about playful behavior baked into everyday objects. That same thinking now shows up in a tiny Bluetooth speaker shaped like a mouse, with four stubby legs and a braided tail that doubles as a carry loop.

Jane Jacobs was also one of the voices that challenged this predominantly rationalist logic, arguing that truly vibrant streets are those capable of sustaining the diversity of everyday life, its informal exchanges, and the forms of care and natural surveillance that emerge from them. What these authors share is a fundamental insight: streets are not merely infrastructures for circulation, but social ecosystems, shaped by the relationships, uses, and encounters that take place within them.