Students from FCE BUT built a playground in Nepal

How do you build a playground where standard construction tools and materials are not readily available? This challenge was taken on by a team of students from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Brno University of Technology, who travelled to the Mustang region of Nepal. As part of the Jugaad project organised by the non-profit organisation Brontosaurus in the Himalayas (Brontosauři v Himalájích), the young civil engineers put their skills to the test against a team of local builders.

Students from FCE BUT built a playground in Nepal in 12 days. | Author: Michal Čeliš

 Children develop best through play. That is why the students travelled to the village of Ghami in Nepal’s Mustang region to take part in the unique Jugaad project organised by the non-profit Brontosauři v Himalájích. In just 12 days, they were tasked with building a playground by hand for children attending a Tibetan school. They competed against a team of local builders. Both teams worked with a limited budget (up to CZK 80,000) and were allowed to use only materials and tools available locally.

BUT civil engineering students vs. local builders

While the young civil engineering students from BUT brought experience in designing playgrounds and understanding their functionality, the local craftsmen contributed their in-depth knowledge of the environment, traditional construction methods, and the use of local materials.

The students often had to improvise during construction, for example when drilling a hole for a bolt without being able to rely on a power drill from the nearest DIY store. The aim of the project was therefore not only to build the playground itself but above all to promote knowledge sharing, mutual support, inspiration between the teams, and creative problem-solving under local conditions.

You can follow the entire challenge on the social media channels of Brontosauři v Himalájích. Once both playgrounds have been completed, a public vote will determine the winning design. Naturally, the children themselves will also have the opportunity to test and evaluate the playgrounds.

Vote for the best playground

Join the challenge from home and vote for the better playground! You can cast your vote HERE.

JUGAAD

In India, the term refers to solving an apparently impossible problem through extraordinary improvisation and creativity. It represents both a philosophy of life and an everyday approach without which many things simply would not work.

Source: Faculty of Civil Engineering BUT

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Author Mgr. Veronika Balko
Published
Link https://www.vut.cz/en/but/f19528/d350236
Faculty of Civil Engineering