The Coming Of Age Treehouse
Puzzle Building / Immersive Storytelling
Puzzle Building / Immersive Storytelling
Workshop @ Hub 67 with Kirsty Reynolds‘The Coming of Age Treehouse’ Project is aimed at giving children in London treehouse building opportunities, as well as open ended toy making sessions to counteract consumerism.
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Repositioning digital play to be outdoors, practical and collaborative as opposed to through a screen in isolation, the Treehouse puzzle is based on the principles of non-prescriptive play and modular design. Without predetermined outcomes, constructions can endlessly transform in unique ways. I am exploring the building process as a form of play/ immersive theatre, as well as ways to create toys that make more toys. My ‘Treehouse Puzzle’ is essentially building blocks using the letters “treehouse”. Having worked with 7-12 year old girls, the aim of this was to shift masculine attitudes towards carpentry and engineering, and empower them with self sufficient tools to make architecture accessible through make-shift construction.
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Manifesto on Designing for Play
Repositioning digital play to be outdoors, practical and collaborative as opposed to through a screen in isolation, the Treehouse puzzle is based on the principles of non-prescriptive play and modular design. Without predetermined outcomes, constructions can endlessly transform in unique ways. I am exploring the building process as a form of play/ immersive theatre, as well as ways to create toys that make more toys. My ‘Treehouse Puzzle’ is essentially building blocks using the letters “treehouse”. Having worked with 7-12 year old girls, the aim of this was to shift masculine attitudes towards carpentry and engineering, and empower them with self sufficient tools to make architecture accessible through make-shift construction.
Manifesto on Designing for Play
My next stage is to collaborate and re-scale these building blocks to create a life-size mobile treehouse flatpack. Using earthquake proof wood joints to avoid putting nails into trees, children can transform their local parks into temporary play spaces that are adaptable. I’m keen for this project to grow into a movement of urban treehouses across London. This was partly developed during my remote residency with Terrestrial.