Moku-Yama 4.1

木山 Moku-Yama 4.1 is built around four pods and has two access points. It is the smallest Moku-Yama configuration with one primary peak.

Play Value

Moku-Yama has been designed with world-renowned Japanese architecture firm, Kengo Kuma & Associates. The name Moku-Yama translates from Japanese to Wood Mountain which aptly describes the impressive floating peaks and valleys of this unique structure.

Moku-Yama blurs the lines between art and play. It is an open-ended and non-prescriptive form that enables a multitude of individual and social play experiences. From climbing to perching; from drop jumping to hiding; it affords play over, under, and around the structure.

The repetition of the cylindrical logs contrasts with the irregular and non-symmetrical overall shape. Moku-Yama logs appear to float and the near-invisible construction adds to the sense of awe when it is experienced from every angle.

Merits

While Moku-Yama is designed for play, it is also a stunning piece of public art. Its aesthetic is incredibly versatile, softening a concrete urban space while also fitting into a natural environment. The multiple mountain peaks give way to stalactite-like caves beneath.

Moku-Yama benefits both physical and psychological development. Leaping and drop jumping are intentional play affordances of this feature. Children love to be dared and to be daring. The height and intensity of jumps change as children age and are dependent on the risk tolerance of the individual child.

The physics of a drop jump is similar to a swing or a slide, but Moku-Yama offers the child, teen, or adult a moment of unconstrained weightlessness.

Learning to leap is necessary both metaphorically and physically. The psychology of risk assessment and the cognitive experience of needing to use hands and feet (multiple touch points) to move at great heights are some of the benefits of this structure. The physical leap is important for bone health and the accruing of bone mass. Studies repeatedly show that the loading forces of jumping are extremely important and beneficial to minimize osteoporosis risks in later years.

Materials

Moku-Yama is constructed of turned Alaskan yellow cedar posts. The ground posts are mounted on a steel bracket.

Accessibility

Moku-Yama 4.1 is considered an accessible ground-level play feature when situated on an accessible path or surfacing.

COLOUR OPTIONS

The intention of Moku-Yama is to celebrate the form, features, and colours of natural wood. In keeping with that vision, Moku-Yama does not have the option to add stain.