Room Reoriented is a play sculpture intended to challenge children’s perceptions of space. By using rooms as the basis for the project there is already an established expectation of space that can be inverted. The resulting feeling of disorientation can be fascinating and whimsical. The idea of emerging in a new, warped, location and having to reorient oneself in the play space can insight curiosity and play. The project will allow children to be more spatially aware and improve their gross motor skills.
The structure consists of two rooms, one of which is the warped and flipped version of the other. The rooms are connected by a net tunnel through the roof to allow kids to climb through and experience a sense of disorientation and challenge as they navigate through the space. The structure was made with the idea of universal design in mind to allow all age groups and people with disabilities to be able to interact with the structure in some way. There are landforms in place to ensure that the main ‘rooms’ of the structure are wheelchair accessible. The areas designed to cause disorientation have large and visible exits so that, in case of sensory overload, there is no fear of getting trapped, and also all the hanging furniture is cushioned to increase the tolerance for error if they are bumped into.