Play Earth Park

A nature park designed for life, play, and landscape

We are proud to be part of the interdisciplinary team behind Play Earth Park – Naturing Forest, opening in early summer 2027 in the beautiful city of Nanto, Toyama in Japan.

Surrounded by mountains and known for its long, rainy spring and snowy winters, Nanto also experiences hot, humid summers, making year-round outdoor play a real challenge. Unlike many urban areas, the city has few sheltered playgrounds, and families have long lacked a place where children can play freely regardless of the weather. This is where Play Earth Park makes a difference.

Where nature, play, and architecture merge seamlessly

At the heart of the design is a sculptural, organically shaped concrete roof that blurs the boundary between indoors and outdoors. It offers seamless shelter, allowing children to move freely between spaces and play regardless of the season while caregivers can pause and relax in the shade.

Our contribution centers on environmental engineering, specifically optimizing outdoor thermal comfort. By analyzing UTCI (Universal Thermal Climate Index) and local climate data, we’ve addressed key challenges such as overheating and heatstroke in the hot season.

We combine passive strategies like:

• Natural shading from roof geometry and trees

• Strategically placed water mist for evaporative cooling

• Carefully selected ground materials to reduce slipperiness in wet seasons

Our goal is to create a safe, inclusive, and resilient playscape that encourages movement, joy, and connection with nature, each other – and all year round.

We hope Play Earth Park becomes not only a beloved gathering spot for local families, but also a model for climate-adaptive playgrounds in cities with demanding seasonal conditions.