Youngsters at an Aberdeenshire primary school could soon be enjoying a new playground designed by local architecture students.
Students at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen have signed up to create a new outdoor area for Portlethen Primary, and will present five different designs and models for the children, parents and staff to choose from.
The school is currently investigating various grant and fundraising options in order to make the project viable.
Sandra McKechnie, deputy head at the school, said: “We are delighted to be working with the students and really jumped at the chance to have them involved.
“I look at the space, which is a large, large area and don’t really know what to do with it, but we are very excited to see what the students come up with after talking to the children and seeing the playground themselves.
“We would very much welcome any offers of sponsorship from local companies who could help us make this project a reality.”
Parent Nicola Brownie first suggested that RGU – where she is a lecturer in advanced clinical practice – may be able to help with the school’s playground improvement project, and is now looking forward to seeing it progress.
She said: “This is a unique opportunity for the pupils because they are very much partners in this process and will get to learn about design and fundraising in a way that is very relevant to real life.”
Architecture lecturer Dr Quazi Mahtab Zaman, who specialises in child-centred urban design, said: “The project is based on the ethos of the community as an extended classroom, which allows the students to undertake their learning out with the traditional structures, and also ties in with the university’s interest in using its knowledge and skills to the benefit of the local area.”