Julien Deransy - PopFAUP

Some things are much more complicate than they look and Pop-up books are among them. Only looking closely to the paper engineering techniques used in this kind of artefact we can understand that it is not a child's play.
During the semester Julien tried several ways in order to archive a good result in its prototype and the result look simple but it is not. 

The PopFAUP prototype:

The Julien article about Pop-Up books: 

Ludovica Daddi - CorNice

Ludovica worked on a device for the perspective phenomenon comprehension. So she designed a kind of frame in order to allow the child reproduce and complete a view.

Here the poster about the CorNice



Here the article Forma Mentis (in original Italian language):

Belisa Murta - Architrunfo

Belisa Murta thought in a board-game in order to test the architectural knowledge of the players. The prototype is still "work in process" and maybe could be interest for our guest Gil d'Orey from Mesaboardgames that in 21/11/2011 gave a lecture to the students about board-games. 


Gaetan Amossé - Sliding panels playground

Playgrounds and other educational spaces were some among the course issues. In the Gaetan Amossé proposal, the student worked on this kind of theme. It is a changeable space customizable by the child in order to create several different configurations and understand special characteristics. Walls, windows, column or other architectural component can be moved in a three-dimensional grid.

The poster with the proposal called "sliding panels playground".



The article (I post the original french language text): L’aire de jeux: en quoi l’architecture des aires de jeux contribue-t-elle à l’épanouissement de l’enfant?

Jessica Correia - A ordem cega (the blind order)

Jessica Correia work is about blind children and how they can understand and feel the space and shapes. She joined this theme with the classical orders of architecture and made a toy called "The blind order".

The "blind order" poster

The article "Espaço Escuro"

Alexandre Enjalric - The Cube

Here the works (both theoretical and practical works) of Alexandre Enjalric for the Architectural Toys course at FAUP during the first semester.

The toy prototype called "The Cube"

The article: The building sets such as the laboratory of architecture of the child. 


Architectural Toys at FAUP

The first edition of my course at the FAUP is over. After six months I can say that it has been a very positive and rewarding experience.
What I want to do now is to publish in this blog some student work in order to show some results. Until there I post two pictures showing the stack of works that are now in my faculty office… now it is my time to work!



The course site:



FROBEL - revista de instrução primaria

Between 1882 and 1885 were edited, in Portugal, 7 numbers of the Froebel review.
During this period de Lisbon City Hall educational services showed the german educator as a model to follow.
In Lisbon still exists a small pavilion in the Jardim da Estrela build in 1882 in order to be an example for a frobelian school.

Fabrica de Paredes - 1931 catalogue

This is an ancient catalogue (1931) of a Portuguese factory in Paredes, Porto, that produced scholar furniture and teaching material as wooden solids, design tools or even Froebel gifts.

Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nürnberg



Two years ago I have been in Nuremberg just because I heard something about this fair. This year I returned just because now I know that you can’t talk about toys without visiting the Spielwarenmesse  in Nuremberg, the biggest in the world. 
Some facts: 2,776 exhibitors from 62 countries. 76,055 visitors from 120 countries. 808 exhibitors attend no other fair. 30,650 visitors only come here. 1 million products, including 70,000 new products. 2,500 journalists in Nuremberg.