A place for play, exploration, creativity and wellbeing

All over the UK, department stores and the high streets they occupy, are under threat due to changing shopping and working patterns, which are challenging the business model of the traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ shop. 

Our team recently explored how to repurpose these older multi-floor buildings. Our concept, ‘Ok to Play’, explores a place for play, recreation, sport, fitness and wellbeing for both adults and children. A unique campus designed to encourage team building, support education and learning, offering alternative physical activities within an urban context. 

Our concept, ‘Ok to Play’, should be a place for play, exploration, creativity and fitness for both adults and children. For ALL to share. These activities do not require a warm or watertight building, they just require a structurally sound space.

By limiting upgrades to a building's fabric, and preserving its original architectural features, the space becomes financially viable again and in return, increases the whole-life carbon footprint of the existing buildings. The new elements that are inserted into the building can be designed in a way that they can be removed and transported to other redundant buildings across the city, or even the UK, giving longevity to these newly formed elements. This approach also allows users to interact closely with original features, such as on the rock climbing wall.

These activity-based uses could be supported by retail units on the ground floor that encourage start-up businesses that provide an offer that fulfils the needs of the building's users. For example, community cafes or other wellbeing facilities. Creating a space that can be multi-tenanted allows businesses to expand and retract as required, supported by the continuous footfall created from ‘OK to Play’.