Reminiscing on his childhood, Peter Zumthor once said: “Memories like these contain the deepest architectural experience that I know. They are the reservoirs of the architectural atmospheres and images that I explore in my work as an architect.” These words allude to a fundamental concept behind kid friendly-design: everything we encounter in the first years of our lives, including architecture, can have a great impact on our future perspective of the world. When spaces are designed according to children’s specific needs, they stimulate their physical and mental well-being, as well as boosting autonomy, self-esteem and socialization skills. Therefore, architects have the responsibility to ensure that kids live, play and learn in environments that contribute to their long-term healthy development.
So, how to design child-friendly spaces? From urban planning to architecture, there are plenty of possible solutions. But when it comes to addressing the smaller scale – where children interact the most –, it is crucial to combine these spaces with the right furniture. This includes pieces specifically designed and manufactured according to the ergonomic guidelines and anatomical dimensions of kids. Essentially, there are two types of children’s furniture: those that facilitate the relationship with the caregiver by adapting to their ergonomic needs, and those that enable the child to use them independently, responding to their size, movements and safety requirements. In this article, we explore the latter through a selection of miniature examples that can be found in Architonic’s ‘Kids furniture’ section.
