Anne Eckert, the owner of the Berlin company Ludolino, calls her office “Konstruiererei für Spielkonzepte” (Designery for Play Concepts). In the following article, she explains what exactly that means and how she wants to achieve building attractive playgrounds all around Germany.
“The topic of playgrounds has been coming up at different stages in my life ever since I can remember,” the 38-year-old says. “I grew up in the Emsland district in Germany, where my parents owned a company for manufacturing outdoor play equipment. I always enjoyed spending time there; I knew many employees and almost all products. After finishing school, I knew I wanted to do an apprenticeship in the family business and decided to become a technical draftswoman.”
“I enjoyed working as technical draftswoman,” Anne Eckert says. “But I wanted to know more about how children play and how we can best support them. So I went back to school and did my A-levels, which allowed me to go to university. At the University of Applied Sciences in Osnabrück, I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Open Space Planning and a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture. My next career move brought me to the play structure manufacturer Berliner Seilfabrik, where I stayed for eight years.”
In July 2023, Anne Eckert started her own company, Ludolino. This was a dream come true for her, as she can now actively work towards creating attractive children's playgrounds, incorporating her ideas. Her service portfolio includes planning, design development and consulting.
“I am the contact person for the design of all types of play areas,” Anne Eckert describes herself. “What matters to me is a high quality of play and individualised planning for all ages, adapted to the location.” But she is also a competent specialist in an overarching context. For example, when it comes to designing coherent play concepts that take into account the environment and thematic features.
Most of Ludolino’s customers are communities that operate playgrounds in schools, nurseries, and green areas. But Anne Eckert also cooperates with shopping malls, theme parks, and restaurants.
Ludolino is one of the exhibitors at the joint stand of the International StartUp Area. This area is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and can be found in Hall 3C. NürnbergMesse offers companies in the International StartUp Area special conditions for participating in GaLaBau, the leading International Trade Fair for Urban Green and Open Spaces (www.galabau-messe.com/en). The fair takes place from 11 – 14 September 2024.
