Faculty of Design

Environmental Design

Claudia Doare

Shielded playgrounds

The hydro-corridor crosses over Flemingdon Park impacting the neighborhood's residents. Composed of transmission towers connected through power lines the hydro-corridor produces high levels of electromagnetic field EMF that are proven to impact humans' health and specifically young children's lives. The City of Toronto made a rapport stating that up to 10% of yearly leukemia cases in children can be linked to EMF exposure which is concerning. This thesis concentrates on 3 elementary schools and 1 middle school located in Flemingdon Park right next to the transmission towers with the idea to introduce nature-based learning for the students while protecting them from the EMF present on the site. Creating spaces that inspire young students to be curious and interact with their environment. They will acquire fundamental environmental education through exploration and play - observing insects / moving on grass and wooden structures / growing plants, etc. Green spaces/open spaces are present on site but not used with no access or simply not taken care of. These spaces are opportunities for more nature-human interaction. The school's playground will be reorganized with 4 different spaces - risky play/ social play/ aesthetic plants/ outdoor class - these spaces are all going to replace the concrete grounds. The park will serve as an extension for the school with programs that will encourage education with activities in each garden space - food garden/ pollinator garden/ animals habitat garden - the space will also be open to the neighborhood residents to support the survival of the food garden. The parc will not only impact the students but also the community of the neighborhood.

“A research on nature-based learning and EMF protection.”