Hayat Parkı (Park of Life) is a playground project located near the schools’ district in Adıyaman, developed through a participatory design process in collaboration with the Fikir ve Sanat Atölyesi Association (FİSA) Children’s Rights Center, Şehir Dedektifi, and the Adıyaman Municipality. It was designed and built as part of the psychosocial support activities for children carried out by FİSA Children’s Rights Center in cooperation with Adıyaman Medical Chamber, Adıyaman Municipality, Şehir Dedektifi, and Fondation de France, following the February 6 earthquakes.
Participatory workshops were held in the container city where FİSA Children’s Rights Center has been conducting psychosocial support activities since May 2023. Over three days, children aged 6-17 participated in workshops employing various methods to evaluate their spatial needs. As part of the Şehir Dedektifi team, I contributed to the design and implementation of the park, while translating children’s ideas into playful design elements.
Hayat Park includes spaces where different age groups can spend time together within porous boundaries. Designed with climate conditions in mind, the park incorporates wooden materials and a tent system to protect children from the elements. It features play equipment that supports the development of gross motor skills. In addition to play structures, the park includes an open classroom with exhibition arrangements and an indoor workshop area where both educational and psychosocial support activities are carried out.
Hayat Park officially opened on April 23, 2024. Since its inauguration, it has been actively used by both children and women, becoming a vibrant community space.
CREDITS
Project Location: Adıyaman
Project Coordinators: Şehir Dedektifi & FİSA Children’s Rights Center
Project Type Group: Playground Design
Concept and Implementation Design Team: İpek Kay, Gizem Kıygı
Open Classroom and Multifunctional Play Equipment Design: İpek Kay
Park Logo Design: Ufuk Aydın
Participatory Design Workshop Facilitators: Gizem Kıygı, Elif Ertekin, İpek Kay
Landscape Design and Implementation: Adıyaman Municipality Parks and Gardens Directorate
Electrical & Mechanical Design and Implementation: Adıyaman Municipality Construction Works Directorate
Wood & Iron Works Implementation: ER-AY Wooden Decoration (Owner: Erhan Tunçay)
Woodworks Installation Team: Yılmaz Angay, Ercan Tunçay, Tuncay Erşen, Ercan Avşar, Mehmet Dermirçin
Canopy Design & Implementation: İstanbul Tente Membrane Structures and Steel Construction (Team: İbrahim Ertek, Yüksel Uçar, Süleyman Aydın, Mustafa Bozdağ, Berfu Uysal, Sadettin Akbay)
Plastic Components for Canopy Supports: Öztepe Plastik
Ready-Made Play Elements: Parkorium
Photography: İpek Kay
Project Start Date: August 2023
Project Completion Date: September 2024
Construction Start Date: April 2024
Construction Completion Date: April 2024