The company “Lever – Development Consultants S.A.”, member of the “Samaras & Partners” Group, in collaboration with the competent services of the Municipality of Acharnes, completed the preparation of the “Guide of standards, tools and methods for upgrading schoolyards in the Municipality of Acharnes using consultation and participatory design processes.”
The guide concerns the development of a practical strategic design for schoolyards and consequently the conditions of students’ outdoor activities in the Municipality of Acharnes. Within the framework of the guide’s preparation, the following were carried out:
- Recording schoolyards within the Municipality’s boundaries and highlighting their characteristics,
- Selection of one schoolyard in need of upgrading and participatory design with the school community (students, educators) to develop proposals and solutions from the users,
- Presentation of design tools based on thematic sections covering various aspects of design (activities, materials, urban equipment, etc.) for upgrading schoolyards, and
- Formation of a proposal of appropriate and effective solutions that will contribute to the functional upgrade of the selected space, based on the guide’s directions and proposals from participatory design workshops.
In the Municipality of Acharnes, the 8th Primary School of Acharnes was selected as a model for the preparation of the Guide, as it is a characteristic example of a school unit where the conditions for a comprehensive upgrade of the space (schoolyard and educational unit) are met.
The main idea of the schoolyard design for the 8th Primary School aimed to solve significant problems of the existing condition and to upgrade the outdoor space so that the school unit is overall enhanced by defining different functions through the creation of separate “corners” that will increase students’ interest.
The result led to the formation of a sustainable and functional schoolyard space serving the following directions:
- Facilitating accessibility to the school for all categories of students,
- Ensuring comfort and easy appropriation of the space by creating seating and shelters in different parts of the yard,
- Connecting students with nature by increasing planting, designing outdoor classrooms and gardens for cultivation by students,
- Allowing the use of the yard during afternoon hours by the neighborhood, thus strengthening the schoolyard’s function as a focal point for the community.
