news

12/01/24

Planter and seating accessories for Grease Monkey's Veloboxes

Secure cycle shelters can occupy prominent spaces in the streetscape.

Teamwork Design therefore suggested to Grease Monkey to develop accessories for the Veloboxes that enhance their functionality and looks. This has resulted in the successful development of attractive seating and planter areas, connected to the secure shelter.

18/11/22

Indoor play area for Paisley's Central Library

Teamwork Design collaborated with Collective Architecture and artist Claire Barclay to co-design the children’s library play structures with exciting spaces for role, imaginative and creative play, featuring wall paintings from the artist.

25/04/22

Secure cycle parking for Grease Monkey

Teamwork Design worked together with Grease Monkey Cycles to develop the Velobox, a safe place for residents to store their bike.

These 'Sold Secure' approved shelters can house up to six standard bikes, but are also suitable for cargo bikes and buggies.

Veloboxes are an ideal solution for people who live in tenements or high rise flats.

24/06/20

Unique concept design for Whale Song Park, Dundee City Council

Teamwork Design worked together with OPEN Landscape Architects, Light Alliance and Kersten Europe to create the concept for a unique Whale themed play environment for Waterfront Gardens, right next to Dundee's Victoria & Albert museum.

This project presented a fantastic opportunity to create a dynamic, interactive play experience on the Dundee waterfront. The design concept recognises the tension between art and play, bringing them together to create a unique play experience and destination.

20/04/20

Why do so few children get ill from Coronavirus?

One group that Coronavirus doesn’t seem to hit hard is children.

Why is this the case? And: does this mean that activities that are of vital importance to children, like playing outside with friends and going to school, should be brought back sooner rather than later?

Sweden, which prides itself to "listening to scientists rather than the media or politicians", has kept schools open since the start of the spread. Children are now going back to school in Denmark and Norway will soon follow.

It would be great news for children -and their parents- if children were allowed ‘out’ again.

It would mean they can play in their streets (where there is currently far less traffic), in nature, in play parks and so they can do their favourite sports again.

Is this wishful thinking or are there grounds to let children be free again?

Dutch newspaper ‘Het Parool’ asked some interesting questions and got some even more interesting answers that I would like to share with you.

1. How does Coronavirus demonstrate itself in children?

Very mildly: coughing, a sore throat, some muscle pain and sometimes a fever.

Often there is no difference between the results of a Corona infection and a normal cold that children so regularly catch in winter.

Emmeline Buddingh’, paediatrician and immunologist of Leiden University (LUMC) says that this is unusual because children are generally very susceptible to respiratory infections.

2. Do children contract Coronavirus less often than adults?

This is indeed the case according to Patricia Bruijning, paediatrician and epidemiologist at UMC Utrecht who researches the effect of Coronavirus on children. This was known already from Chinese studies and was recently confirmed by an Icelandic study that showed that children get ill from Coronavirus less often and also that they have a smaller chance to get infected.

Seven percent of children that are in contact with an infected adult will get infected, whereas that figure is 14% for adults.

3. Do children spread the virus less than adults?

That seems to be the case. The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment is researching this at the moment, but at the start of the research a child to adult infection had not yet been registered.

Scientifically it is virtually impossible to prove that something cannot happen, and the Institute advises that transmission of the virus cannot be ruled out.

4. Why are children less receptive for Coronavirus?

There are many theories, but there is no hard proof yet.

Besides the current Coronavius (Sars-CoV -2) there are various other Coronaviruses that are not dangerous anymore because of people’s immunity. The worst they do is give us a cold.

Children catch more of these viruses and one theory is that their immune system is better prepared for the dangerous versions.

5. What are the other theories?

Another theory is that children are vaccinated against a variety of illnesses. The combination of these vaccines may protect children against Sars-CoV-2.

Another hypothesis is that children have less ACE-2 receptors in their respiratory system. Coronavirus enters our cells via these receptors to do its destructive work.

6. Are very ill Corona patients indeed attacked by their own immune system?

Huub Savelkoul (immunologist at Wageningen University Research) confirms this. The body’s own defence system can run riot as a consequence of Coronavirus. When that is the case, the so called T-cells do not only clean up the infected lung cells, but also the healthy ones.

The result of this is that a lot of fluid is being produced and that the lungs can hardly absorb oxygen anymore.

7. Can children also be attacked by their own immune system?

‘No’, is Savelkoul’s answer. Children’s immune system is still in development and does not respond so aggressively.

Most people can suppress the response of the immune system in time and do not get in a life threatening situation. The immune system of older people however, has less potential to call the overactive T-cells to order and stop the destructive response of the immune system.

More freedom?

It sounds like there are good reasons to give children more freedom again soon.

If we, as adults, keep our distance when we go out and take our kids to the park and make sure that we keep them away from –probably fearful- older and vulnerable people, we may be able to limit some of the negative effects of lockdown on children!