Design Contest for Students: Developing Children's Play Spaces in London

The comprehensive concept of the MMR house was developed for a young couple who had several very specific requirements for the project. Among the clients' wishes were the presence of a spiral staircase inside the house, the integration of wood into the interior, the ability to see the roof slope from inside the premises, and the creation of a double-height ceiling space.

Furthermore, the project had to meet the general needs of the house: provide for four bedrooms, an office, spacious areas for socializing capable of accommodating about forty guests, ensure a strong connection with nature while maintaining privacy relative to the residential complex.

Project Gallery

Information about the project was provided by the project team. The MMR Project / David Ito Arquitetura was presented in ArchDaily.

Icaraí Beach, located in Niterói, in the Metropolitan Region of Rio, has received a new volunteer project focused on motivating children to play soccer on the sand, aiming to combat excessive cell phone use during childhood.

This initiative, named “The Soccer Revival,” was conceived by Marco Antonio Araujo, who is a retired colonel in the Army. The project brings together veterans who wish to revive the old tradition of children's games on the waterfront, promoting both outdoor physical activity and interaction between different age groups.

Activities take place every Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM in the sandy area of the beach, near Cinema Icaraí. Participation is free and intended for children aged 7 to 12, provided they are accompanied by their guardians.

Marco Antonio Araujo stated that the memory of seeing children playing with a ball on the sand, forming teams, and creating friendships marked the childhood of many generations in Niterói, but he observes that this scene, once very common, has almost disappeared.

According to the originator, after speaking with local residents about the frequency of people and sports practice at Icaraí Beach throughout the year, a scarcity of children playing soccer was noted.

“For veterans who grew up playing ball on the beach, it is even sad to see that children are indoors or, at most, in the restricted spaces of buildings,” declared Marco Antonio.

The group's main concern lies in the excessive time that children and adolescents dedicate to cell phones and other electronic devices, to the detriment of moments of physical activity and face-to-face interaction.

Sports and intergenerational coexistence

The project also carries a strong affective aspect. By bringing together veterans of beach soccer with children accompanied by parents and grandparents, the initiative seeks to foster unity between generations, allowing people who experienced similar things in childhood to connect with those who now have the chance to learn the sport.

For Marco Antonio, practicing soccer can be beneficial for both physical and mental health, in addition to aiding in emotional development and friendship formation in children.

He commented: “We create a tangency between the two ends of the age pyramid. It mirrors harmonious coexistence between generations of grandparents and grandchildren. A combination of patience from both sides, affection, and above all, love.”

The idea also arose from the observation that there are areas on the beach designated for sports that remain unoccupied on certain days of the week. The group wishes to encourage the use of these locations so that children return to playing soccer on the sand, always under the supervision and company of their guardians.

The beach has other sports modalities

Icaraí Beach already hosts practitioners of various modalities, including volleyball, footvolley, beach tennis, functional activities, handball, swimming, and rowing, in addition to dance classes. However, the veteran group believes that children's soccer can also reclaim its space on the waterfront, which, according to the originator, has good lighting and adequate conditions for sports practice.

The ultimate goal is to boost a movement that brings children and adolescents back to the beach, restoring a striking tradition in the childhood of former residents of the neighborhood. He emphasized: “It is part of our DNA, contributes to physical and mental health, and also strengthens the creation of sincere and lasting friendships.”

The Municipality of Limassol is holding an international architectural competition aimed at creating a modern, flexible, and ecological cultural facility named the 'Limassol Arts Centre'. This centre is envisioned as a key element of Limassol's Cultural Strategy for the period 2024–2034.

The competition's objective is to develop a cultural space that meets the actual needs of the artistic community, demonstrating a clear, timeless, and recognizable architectural identity. The Centre is planned to function as an open, accessible, and dynamic organization capable of supporting the full spectrum of cultural activities, including production, research, experimentation, collaboration, as well as providing residential spaces for artists, digital art, and opportunities for public participation.

The Centre's program includes social and public areas, venues for events and performances, educational spaces for education and creative production, as well as infrastructure for artist accommodation, administrative management, auxiliary rooms, transport access, and parking.

The Municipality of Limassol seeks the best comprehensive proposal considering urbanistic, architectural, ecological, economic, and functional aspects. The competition winner will be hired to complete the project and oversee the construction.

The Centre should not be merely a venue for events; it must become a living organization where the creative process is open and accessible to everyone. The application of Universal Design principles will ensure full accessibility and inclusivity for all social groups while guaranteeing long-term ecological and economic sustainability of the building with low operating costs.

Competition Details

The competition is held in the format of a single International Architectural Prize. The jury consists of several members, headed by Mr. Yannis Armeftis, architect and Mayor of Limassol. The jury includes Mr. George Georgiou, Ms. Vasiliki Konstantinou, Ms. Andriani Haralambous, Ms. Marcela Meniku, Ms. Giorgia Dzoter, Ms. Luli Michaelidu, Mr. Christodoulos Panayotou, and Mr. Stefanos Droussiotis.

The prize fund includes awards: 1st place – 100,000 euros, 2nd place – 75,000 euros, 3rd place – 50,000 euros, and honorary mentions (up to two) of 20,000 euros each. The first-place winner will be contracted to develop the executive design and supervise the construction, with an estimated cost of 2,600,000 euros plus VAT.

The application deadline is set for March 22, 2027, at 23:30. The competition is free of charge.