Amsterdam, Netherlands
Carve is a multidisciplinary design and engineering agency that focuses on the layout of public (outdoor) space. Children and young people in particular are our starting points as users of public space. We incorporate our ideas into playable ground-level furnishings, playgrounds, special play structures or playable street furniture. We also have a lot of experience in developing skate parks and unconventional hangouts. Our clients are local authorities, landscape and architectural firms and producers.
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Since its foundation in 1997 by Elger Blitz and Mark van der Eng, Carve has grown into an agency with 12 employees. Carve has a wide variety of assignments where different design disciplines such as industrial design, civil engineering, architecture and landscape architecture come together.
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_All projects:
Carve imagined a small, vibrant village that is scaled down to a child’s size, designed to spark curiosity in both young and adults. From the outset, our team took a multi-age approach to the design, resulting in a one-of-a kind play village built from clusters of hexagonal plateaus and towers, where kids can explore and move from one tower to the next in a winding maze. Photo: McArthurGlenn
Play Land at Serravalle Designer Outlet Read More »
In 2020, Carve was asked to design a play area in the historical Tophane Park. The exceptional setting, including a blend of ancient and contemporary structures such as the Ottoman baroque-style building, the Ottoman-style Mahmud-Han fountain and the modern museum and mall, quickly captivated and challenged our attention to create a playful as well as distinctive design. Photo: Playdium
Tophane Park Playground Read More »
In looking for a sculptural form that is attractive for all age groups and at the same time serving as a meeting place, Carve designed an organically shaped sculpture that incorporates various play functions. By arranging the various functions in one object, the space around it is divided into three zones, redefining its surroundings. Photo: Marleen Beek.
The starting point for Carve’s design was that we wanted children to be able to completely dive into their own world of imagination: stimulated by otherwordly shapes, colours and an unprecedented play experience. It should be a playground visible from afar, yet a world in its own right. This resulted in a playground that is truly one of a kind: Zorlu playground. Photo: Marleen Beek
Carve connects the three planned playzones by introducing an iconic ‘air bridge’, that is oriented in the opposite direction to the path system below. Because a large part of the playzone is elevated, as little space as possible is absorbed by the playzones, hence introducing an interesting interaction between the playing children and people who take a stroll underneath the object. Photo: Jasper van der Schaaf
Frederik Hendrikplantsoen Read More »
The spectacular scale of this site – regarding both the height of the terril as well as its industrial heritage – is unique in the relatively flat surrounding landscape of Limburgian-Flanders. The intervention is a landmark on a large scale, but through its playable character it also reflects the small scale of a child. The values of the industrial heritage have been a continuous leading theme in the design process that resulted in an unprecedented playscape. Photo: Hannah Schubert
Play landscape be-MINE Read More »
Public life in Singapore is organized differently than in Europe. Because of the humid climate and strong UV radiation, people prefer to be in a shady and sheltered place. For this reason indoor (shopping) centers are very popular for leisure activities. That is why large lily-shaped play trees that provide shade are central to the design of this playground. Photo: Playpoint(Singapore) Pte Ltd
Waterway point – Happy Park Read More »
Fantastic play cloud structures have arisen in the city of Istanbul. They are the iconic landmarks of a new open air playground on the roof park of Marmara Forum, a shopping centre in the Bakirköy district. The windows of the clouds magically change colours as daylight changes throughout the day. Photo: Asli Dayioglu
Roof Playground Marmara Forum Read More »
‘Interlace’ by Carve, a playground that seamlessly fits in its surroundings. Four large containers are stacked on top of each other, each one rotated just like the residential backdrop. Inside the containers, various crawling, climbing and sliding elements create a maze-like structure with a variety of adventurous routes. Photo: Tuckys Photography
