Skip to content
Werkelkueche Brinquedo by Christine Oehme

Werkelkueche Brinquedo by Christine Oehme is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award de Ouro in Design de Produtos para Bebés, Crianças e Jovens Competition Category.


OuroProdutos para Bebés· 2021

Werkelkueche Brinquedo

by Christine Oehme

Client: Christine Oehme

A' Design Award de Ouro Winner in Produtos para Bebés Category

58,323

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #123332

Colors

The Design

About Werkelkueche Brinquedo

O Werkelkueche é uma estação de trabalho de atividades aberta ao gênero que permite que as crianças mergulhem em mundos de brincadeiras livres. Combina as características formais e estéticas das cozinhas e bancadas infantis. Portanto, o Werkelkueche oferece diversas possibilidades para jogar. A bancada de madeira compensada curvada pode ser usada como pia, oficina ou pista de esqui. Os compartimentos laterais podem fornecer espaço de armazenamento e esconder ou assar pãezinhos crocantes. Com a ajuda das ferramentas coloridas e intercambiáveis, as crianças podem concretizar suas ideias e imitar o mundo dos adultos de forma lúdica.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Ouro

Werkelkueche Brinquedo conquistou o A' Design Award de Ouro, um reconhecimento imensamente prestigiado atribuído a designs de primeira linha, maravilhosos e notáveis. Os vencedores do Ouro são criações extremamente inovadoras, visionárias e glamorosamente deslumbrantes, que refletem o prodígio, a sabedoria e a proeza dos seus designers. Espera-se que Werkelkueche Brinquedo seja uma invenção muito elogiada, pioneira e monumental, que oferece um valor sem precedentes. Este design vencedor do A' Design Award de Ouro é um projeto espetacular e respeitado, que beneficia muito e faz avançar as fronteiras da arte, da ciência, do design e da tecnologia. Werkelkueche Brinquedo cria sentimentos intensos de desejo, evoca paixão, incentiva a criatividade e fascina-nos.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
The ”Werkelkueche” is a gender-open activity workstation for children. It combines the formal and aesthetic features of children's kitchens and workbenches and thus opens up playful possibilities that are beyond gender stereotypes. The curved worktop can be a sink and a ski slope. The side compartments offer storage space or can bake crispy rolls. The interchangeable tools allow children to realize their ideas and imitate the adult world.
Dimensions & Packaging
710mmx440mm780mm
Tags
children, kids, toy, gendersensitiv, kitchen, workbench, play, moulded wood, sheet steel
Production Technology
The worktop of the ”Werkelkueche” is made of thermally deformable birch plywood from UPM. This material allowed me to give the rigid wood a soft, deep groove. This material is in optical and haptic contrast to the powder-coated sheet steel on the front and rear walls.
Design Challenge
The challenge in the conceptual work was the fusion of existing toys and their design opposites. I wanted to make a design that was recognizable and at the same time completely new. From a technical point of view, the thermal deformation of the birch plywood was a particular challenge. After several weeks of experimentation, I had found the right bend angle and also a way to connect this countertop to the rest of the pieces.
Research
Expert interviews and surveys with parents, the influence of gender in children's worlds, five qualitative interviews with educators and leaders, survey with over 900 individual answers, gender plays a subordinate role in children themselves up to the age of three, but from the point of pregnancy a clear distinction is made between male and female through the social environment, clothing and objects, parents want more so-called gender-neutral things
Inspiration
The world of children is actually colorful, loud and diverse. But this children's world is often divided into gender stereotypical roles: the clothes are either pink or blue, in the toy department mystical fighting ninjas ”for boys” and cute dolls ”for girls” are sold. This suggests to even the youngest children what social images and expectations are placed on girls or boys.
Project Duration
The project started in June 2020 with extensive research with parents and social workers. I developed the Werkelkueche as part of my bachelor thesis at the Berlin University of the Arts. The project was completed in December 2020.
Operation Flow
The ”Werkelkueche” is an open-ended, intuitive play space for children. There the world of adults can be imitated in a playful way, conflicts can be negotiated and security gained: Who am I and how does it feel to slip into another role? These experiences are an essential part of the child’s self-identity.
Patents
Registered Design. No. 402020204285-0001. Christine Oehme. 2021
Image Credits
Image #1: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020
Image #2: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020
Image #3: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020
Image #4: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020
Image #5: Manuel Meinhardt, Werkelkueche, 2020

Sponsored

Explore Beyond Designers.org

Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

The A' Design Award is an international, juried accolade for good design. Take part in the A' Design Award to get an opportunity to earn meritocratic recognition, gain fame, prestige and publicity for your work. Nominate your work for the A' Design Award and compete for the coveted A' Design Prize.

Nominate