After transporting the flat-pack boxes to the site in Piccadilly Gardens via taxi, we quickly and easily set up, and the weather was on our side! The public were extremely interested in our exhibit, and many stopped to play. The Manchester Evening News even published an online article about the project, showcasing our aim to make people stop and enjoy what's around them in the hustle and bustle of a busy city.

We incorporated several 'playful' elements to our boxes, allowing them to be used by the public. Wind chimes were placed in some boxes, whilst others were spray painted with checkers boards for people to play on. Some faces of boxes were painted with chalkboard paint, allowing the public to draw on them, and other faces were covered with coloured material, making them more attractive to our audience.

We spent a large proportion of our time cutting out different sized nets for our boxes. We decided to use thick, double-walled cardboard as this was not only widely available to us for free, but also a very durable material. Therefore the boxes are less likely to get damaged in a busy public place.

As previously mentioned, our concept is based on open space, of which there is plenty of in Piccadilly Gardens. We specifically chose a space with rows of trees, so our final model can sprawl from tree to tree in an organic style.

After discussing our individual ideas as a group, we decided to focus our project around cubic boxes - a versatile and simple shape. The concept for the final outcome was presented in a model, with the aim of covering an open walkway with various boxes.

After being given the brief to create 'playful architecture', I researched various precedents in books to do with playgrounds and recreational space.
My favourite idea was that of a sloping pathway - perhaps one that people can jump/climb over.