Today In Play

Join Timberplay for an open and honest conversation about what inclusive play means in practice. With perspectives from the UK and the Middle East, we’ll explore how culture, context, and lived experience shape the way we design for inclusion—and why it’s about more than ticking boxes.

This session will look at:

• How designers can move beyond minimum standards

• The impact of lived experience on inclusive thinking

• The challenges of designing for a wide range of needs—within real-world constraints

• Why thoughtful, inclusive spaces benefit everyone

Whether you’re a landscape architect, developer, educator, or someone who simply cares about the importance of play, this webinar invites you to reflect, learn, and connect.

Panellists:

Anamaria Castillo
Landscape Strategies Director, KALQ Studio

Anamaria is an eco-social landscape architect whose work focuses on designing public spaces that reflect the cultural, environmental, and social contexts of the communities they serve. With a background in education, art, and landscape architecture, she brings a deeply human approach to design—one that connects form with purpose and people with place.

Her interest in play stems from both her academic training and her personal experience as a mother in a neurodiverse family. This has shaped her understanding of inclusion—not as a checklist, but as a commitment to creating spaces that genuinely welcome everyone, from toddlers to teenagers, from caregivers to grandparents.

Based in Dubai, Anamaria brings an international lens to inclusive design, acknowledging that while play is universal, the way we design for it is profoundly cultural. She is especially passionate about creating intergenerational, fitness-oriented, and socially engaging landscapes that foster connection, reduce screen dependency, and support long-term wellbeing.

Nichola Speight
Associate Landscape Architect, Ryder Architecture

Nichola is an Associate Landscape Architect at Ryder Architecture, where she works across a broad range of UK and international projects—from detailed public realm schemes to large-scale spatial strategies. With over a decade of experience, she brings a clear focus on places that not only look good, but genuinely support wellbeing, identity, and everyday life.

A Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute since 2010, Nichola’s background blends both the art and science of design. Her training includes undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Landscape Architecture from Manchester Metropolitan University, and her work is grounded in a commitment to thoughtful, user-centred design.

Whether she’s shaping urban squares or reimagining green infrastructure, Nichola champions inclusive, accessible, and socially responsive landscapes. She believes that well-designed spaces can—and should—welcome everyone, and that community engagement is central to getting that right.

This discussion will be hosted by Beth Copper, Independent Play Consultant

 Register for the webinar here → Eventbrite

Can't make the live session? Register anyway - all attendees will receive a recording and supplementary resources to support your inclusive design journey.