Unstable Ground: 8 Projects Suspending Safety Nets for Exploration and Play

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters. 

The act of play is age-discriminatory. Until a certain age, children are encouraged to explore, climb and fall, free of embarrassment, in both the public and private realm. In the best cases of childhood development, we cultivate our children to be deeply curious. However, all too frequently after a certain age, the act of “childish” play begins to illicit insecurities. Such vital and adaptive curiosity is all too often lost when the gravity of adulthood kicks in, expectantly knocking down one’s door. Fortunately, architecture can be skillfully and whimsically wielded to disrupt this linear path, offering a playful environment for people of all ages.

Despite mainly prioritizing children in their design, these vibrant projects spark the minds of kids and adults alike. Through the use of netting, the following architects — just like children — audaciously imagine and create uncommon possibilities. They offer safe, yet challenging courses in which to suspend, climb and move through their surroundings in dynamic ways. Additionally, through a fluidity of spaces and endless architectural vistas, these nets allow us to gaze through unexpected tunnels and windows, and to observe the artful movement of those around us from new perspectives.

Jerry Houseby Onion, Cha-am, Thailand

Jerry House was built as a space that children would yearn for. A holiday home for a Bangkok-based family with four sons, Onion created an atypical home where family members would be encouraged to play in such a way that is unusual for most domestic spaces in Thailand. According to the architects “climbing, hiding, hanging and even falling are the proposed physical activities which exceed the boundary of common lifestyle.”

Treehouseby Sharon Davis Design, Garrison, United States

Located on the peak of a meadow at an old Garrison farmstead is Treehouse — a 350-square-foot multipurpose play space. Entry to the playground structure is through a custom climbing net and a trap door. Two stories in total, located at the top is a mahogany writing desk with views oriented towards the nearby apple orchard.

House in Wilhermsdorf by Eyland 07, Wilhermsdorf, Germany

For this project, the architects designed a gallery that mediates between the dining area on the ground floor and a living area above. Created with a white protective net that forms a giant hammock, the space is used as an indoor playground for the daughter and her friends.

skinnySCAR by Gwendolyn Huisman & Marijn Boterman, Rotterdam, Netherlands

A project by architect couple Gwendolyn Huisman and Marijn Boterman, skinnySCAR shows how forgotten empty spaces in the city can be effectively utilized to upgrade the urban fabric. Located on a narrow plot with extreme proportions, the architects implemented a stacked open loft design. Netting is used in order to enhance the spatial qualities, foster a fluidity between spaces and create an unexpected architectural vista.

OB Kindergarten+Nursery by HIBIKNOSEKKEI+Youji no Shiro, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan

Given the trend of children’s poor eating habits and occupation with stationary video games, many of those in Nagasaki struggled with lack of physical ability and obesity. This new kindergarten design by HIBIKNOSEKKEI+Youji no Shiro sought to offer an architectural solution by creating a space to encourage various types of movement. At the school, children are presented with a play-course that provokes physical engagement while challenging the mind.

Saigon House by a21 studio, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This project is an expression of love for Saigon’s alleys, regardless of rain or shine. According to the architects, Saigon has fallen to the destruction of architectural values and culture. Therefore, this space is dedicated to the “old Saigon,” and the typical “Van Duong” Palace — a regional architectural masterpiece that has been lost.

Sleep and play by Ruetemple, Moscow, Russia

A summer house for two adults and three children, the architectural assignment was to create a bedroom that would be convenient for everyone. Shielded by protective netting, the children are lured up to a small playhouse while their parents may continue to sleep. With just two basic colors —white and the color of pale wood — the entire structure is both calming and cozy.

Unbot Inc. Office by PRISM DESIGN, Shanghai, China

For this design, PRISM DESIGN created a relaxing atmosphere that could help release the stress of work. By using the concept of infinity through creating a circular office, the space symbolizes creation, exchange, manufacturing, success and challenge. The architects hope that this new office space will facilitate infinitely new and wonderful memories for the company.

Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.