A playground at a primary school in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Gilles was the latest of a list of spaces to receive a "green” transformation as part of Operation Re-Creation, an initiative by the regional administration Brussels Environment.
What was once mostly a paved play area at Léonie La Fontaine School is now a more welcoming space that features soft surfaces, vegetable garden beds, growing greenery, and "water play” features.
The new look of the playground is part of a regional project to transform 25 Brussels playgrounds with the aim of improving spaces for children while addressing climate challenges.
The new playground was officially unveiled on Tuesday, in a ceremony attended by the local mayor, Jean Spinette (PS) and the Brussels State Secretary for the Environment, Ans Persoons (Vooruit), among others.
“Nature, cooling, and space to play should not be a luxury. Every child should be able to enjoy them, regardless of their school or neighbourhood,” said Persoons.
Less paved surfaces, more trees
The original design of the playground mostly consisted of impervious paved areas. This trapped heat more easily and had limited space for biodiversity or the natural collection of rainwater.
Before the transformation. Credit: Benedicte Maindiaux
Around 57% of the playground area was unpaved during the makeover, with 15% of the surface of the space landscaped with vegetation.
The new playground now features seven areas for plants and six trees, as well as 55 shrubs and other smaller native plants.
Additionally, the unpaved surfaces are now covered with a mixture of materials, including wood chips, soil and gravel, which make it easier for rainwater to penetrate the ground.
After the transformation. Credit: Brussels Environment
Designing for different activities
The new layout at the Léonie La Fontaine playground was also designed to ensure there is space for different types of activities.
“Playgrounds are often organised around large areas dominated by ball games. As a result, little space remains for other activities, and some children may feel that there is no place for them,” Brussels Environment explained in a statement.
The new space now has different separate "zones” for physical activity, socialisation, observation and also rest.
After the transformation. Credit: Brussels Environment
Children can now choose between activities such as tending to a vegetable garden, relaxing in a shaded area, climbing a wooden platform, or exploring a play structure made of old arches from the municipal swimming pool.
Additionally, children can interact with a water play area, which includes a pump, a play table and a water trough.
“The goal is twofold: to make the playground cooler and more pleasant on hot days and to raise children’s awareness of the water cycle and the importance of water as a natural resource,” added a Brussels Environment spokesperson.
After the transformation. Credit: Brussels Environment
10 playgrounds to go
A total of 25 playgrounds in 13 different Brussels municipalities were selected for Operation Re-Creation. Léonie La Fontaine School's playground is the 15th one to receive a makeover.
The total budget for the project was €291,253.57. Brussels Environment invested €246,644 in the project, while the municipality of Saint-Gilles invested €44,609.57.
The project at the Léonie La Fontaine school was carried out, on behalf of Brussels Environment, by the landscape architects AAC architecture and Caneva-s, with DSV nv as the contractor.
