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AZ Awards 2021 • Concepts
The finalists
Concepts ◆ Ideas and Prototypes
Are
Finalist
Project
Grayson Play-Lab
Location
Radnor, U.S.
Firm
Matter Design, U.S.
Summary
What should open-ended play look like? The Grayson Play-Lab by Matter Design offers a bold answer. Conceived for adolescents past monkey-bar age, and premised on the value of learning through fun, the project resembles a fantastical, kid-friendly Stonehenge. Its colossal creatures — a set of concrete characters arranged in cosmic alignment on an open landscape — make up the main structures. These megalithic objects feature details through which students can employ a series of wooden instruments called “glyphs,” custom elements that allow kids to interact with the sturdy sculptures in a variety of ways.
Finalist
Project
Smart-Box
Designers
Ren Peng with Shenzhen Explore Home Industrial Design, China
Summary
Combining classic building blocks with cutting-edge digital tech, these educational toys encourage kids to hone their logic skills in a fun, interactive way. Smart-Box’s white and pastel orange blocks — printed with simple numerals and math operations, respectively — might not look all that different from traditional kindergarten fare. But the set’s futuristic dark orange modules come fully equipped with a digital display, speaker and near-field communication sensor, enabling them to announce the solution to math equations arranged with any preceding blocks. In other words, one plus one equals 21st-century playtime.
And
Concepts ◆ Ideas and Prototypes
The Winner
+ The Peoples Choice
Is
Project
Grayson Play-Lab
Location
Radnor, U.S.
Firm
Matter Design, U.S.
Brandon Clifford: 2021 AZ Award Winner in Ideas & Prototypes
Presented By: Keilhauer

What should open-ended play look like? The Grayson Play-Lab by Matter Design offers a bold answer. Conceived for adolescents past monkey-bar age, and premised on the value of learning through fun, the project resembles a fantastical, kid-friendly Stonehenge.

Its colossal creatures — a set of concrete characters arranged in cosmic alignment on an open landscape — make up the main structures. These megalithic objects feature details through which students can employ a series of wooden instruments called “glyphs,” custom elements that allow kids to interact with the sturdy sculptures in a variety of ways. 

“The radical, innovative part of this concept is that it empowers children to use their creativity to influence their own environment.”
Ini Archibong, AZ Awards 2021 Juror
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