PLAYCE Pompey (UK) wins first prize for ‘Health and Wellbeing’

“PLAYCE has transformed this once-neglected location into a vibrant, inclusive hub.”

PLAYCE Pompey, located in Portsmouth, England, has won a prestigious award. The outdoor sports and play area, designed based on the Athletic Skills Model, received its first prize in the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ category at the Housing Heroes Awards. The competition was organised by Inside Housing, a leading trade magazine in the field of social housing. The award was presented during the UK Housing event at the end of June in Manchester, England.

Increase in physical activity in the neighbourhood

PLAYCE in Portsmouth was officially opened in the summer of 2024. The aim of the redesigned space is to encourage a healthier, more active community by offering an inviting sport and exercise facility that promote a broad range of movement. Winning the award in the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ category is therefore a welcome recognition.

The jury commented: “PLAYCE Pompey is a colourful space, designed to encourage people to get moving.”
“This project has led to a significant increase in physical activity in an area where life expectancy is considerably lower than the national average. It has also contributed to a substantial reduction in anti-social behaviour.”

CELEBRATING THE LEADERS, INNOVATORS AND CHANGEMAKERS ACROSS OUR SECTOR.

The award is seen as recognition for everyone who has worked hard over the past years to make PLAYCE a reality. The project was made possible with the support of the University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth City Council, and a large number of sponsors, including South Western Railway. The Dutch company CityGrass was responsible for the supply and installation of the artificial grass.

Practical and scientifically grounded

PLAYCE was designed based on the Athletic Skills Model and its associated design principles. This includes multifunctional use centred around the ten fundamental movement skills, encouraging a broad and versatile range of physical activity. In addition, the inviting colours, zones, and lines create a wide variety of movement opportunities and organisational formats (affordances) for PE lessons, training sessions, exercise programmes, or unstructured sport and play.

In addition, the inviting colours, zones and lines create a wide range of opportunities for different movements (affordances) for PE-lessons, training sessions, exercise programmes, or unstructured sport and play. These have been deliberately designed asymmetrically, in line with the latest scientific insights into motor learning and non-linear pedagogy. This approach encourages more varied movement, contributing to improved motor development for all ages.

PLAYCE is a concept for the design of indoor and outdoor sports and play areas based on the Athletic Skills Model. From gymnasiums to padel courts, from multicourts to swimming pools. #DesignedbyASM #PoweredbyCREATIVITY.

Official suppliers PLAYCE®

®© | ‘PLAYCE’ and ‘Athletic Skills Model’ are registered trademarks in Europe. The trademarks and the intellectual property rights (IP) of the designs are owned by the Athletic Skills Company.