#flip-the-binck
An interactive scale model showing residents the future of their neighborhood through playful, physical interaction
The Challenge
How might we help residents visualize and engage with complex urban development plans that will transform their neighborhood over the next 10 years?
How might we create an accessible, engaging experience that encourages dialogue about neighborhood changewithout requiring technical literacy or passive information consumption?
The Context
The Binckhorst neighborhood in The Hague was undergoing major redevelopmenttransforming from an industrial area to a mixed-use residential and creative district. City planners had detailed visions for the future, but residents struggled to understand abstract architectural plans and felt disconnected from decisions about their own neighborhood.
This was a 0�1 exhibition design project commissioned by the city to bridge this gap. Rather than another informational display or digital simulation, we wanted to create something physical, social, and playfulan experience that invited interaction rather than passive viewing.
Design Process
1. Understanding the Communication Gap
Through interviews with residents and observation at planning meetings, we identified key issues:
- Abstract representations: 2D architectural plans and renderings didn't convey spatial reality
- Static information: Residents couldn't explore alternatives or understand trade-offs
- Passive engagement: Looking at displays didn't create dialogue or ownership
- Scale disconnect: Individual building images didn't show neighborhood-wide impact
- Time compression: Hard to visualize 10 years of gradual change
2. Concept Development: Making Planning Playful
We explored multiple approaches to making urban planning tangible and interactive. The breakthrough insight: repurpose a foosball tablesomething familiar, social, and inherently interactiveas the control mechanism for a rotating scale model.
Why foosball? It's approachable, encourages group interaction, and the rotating motion naturally maps to viewing different development phases or perspectives.
3. Building the Interactive Model
We fabricated a detailed 1:500 scale model of the Binckhorst mounted on a rotating platform. The foosball handles connected to the platform via a mechanical systemturning the handles rotated the entire neighborhood model, revealing different development stages and viewpoints.
- Model details: Accurate building placements, heights, and materials reflecting actual plans
- Temporal layers: Removable buildings showed phases of development over time
- Interaction mapping: Each foosball handle controlled a different section, enabling collaborative exploration
- Viewing angles: Rotation revealed how changes affected different streets and areas
4. Designing for Dialogue
The physical model was paired with facilitated engagement:
- Guided exploration: Urban planners stood by to answer questions as residents explored
- Prompts and provocations: Signage encouraged questions like "What happens to your street?" and "Where will kids play?"
- Feedback capture: Residents could mark concerns and preferences on adjacent maps
- Social viewing: The setup encouraged groups to gather, point, and discuss together
The Experience
Physical Control, Intuitive Exploration
Visitors immediately understood the interactiongrab the handles and turn. No instructions needed. This lowered barriers to engagement and made the experience accessible to all ages and technical comfort levels.
Collaborative Discovery
The foosball format naturally created a social experience. Multiple people could control different parts simultaneously, leading to collaborative exploration: "Turn your sideI want to see the park from this angle."
Time Travel Through Layers
Removable building pieces allowed residents to see development phases: current state, 5-year plan, and 10-year vision. This made abstract timelines tangible and showed incremental impact rather than just the final state.
From Spectator to Participant
The playful interaction transformed residents from passive information consumers to active explorers. People spent 10-15 minutes examining details, asking questions, and marking up adjacent maps with their perspectives.
Impact & Reception
residents engaged with the model during the 2-week exhibition
longer average engagement time compared to traditional planning displays
pieces of actionable feedback collected for city planners
Key Outcomes
- Increased understanding: Post-exhibition surveys showed significant improvement in residents' comprehension of development plans
- Meaningful dialogue: Residents asked more specific, informed questions when engaging with the physical model vs. digital presentations
- Community validation: The project became a case study for participatory urban planning in The Netherlands
- Design recognition: Featured in multiple exhibitions and urban design conferences as an example of civic engagement innovation
"For the first time, I actually understand what they're planning. And I have opinions about it!"Binckhorst resident, 67
"This made planning tangible. Residents weren't just lookingthey were exploring, questioning, and co-creating the conversation."City Planner, Municipality of The Hague
Reflections & Learnings
Playfulness Breaks Down Barriers
The foosball mechanism wasn't just functionalit was an invitation. The playful reference made urban planning feel less intimidating and more accessible. People who might never attend a planning meeting engaged enthusiastically with the model.
Physical Beats Digital for Community Engagement
While digital simulations offer more control and data, the physical model created something digital couldn't: a social focal point. People gathered around it, pointed together, had conversations. It became an experience, not just information.
Constraints Spark Creativity
Working with physical materials, mechanical systems, and fabrication constraints forced creative problem-solving that led to better design. The foosball idea emerged from asking "What familiar mechanisms create rotation?" rather than starting with high-tech solutions.
What I'd Do Differently
If I could revisit this project, I'd incorporate better feedback mechanisms directly into the modelperhaps allowing residents to place tokens or markers on specific buildings to register concerns or support. The adjacent map system worked, but integrating feedback into the model itself would be more immediate and visible to other participants. I'd also explore how to make the model more portable for neighborhood events beyond the central exhibition.