Playhouse: architects have children too

As Anna and Eugeni Bach of bacharquitectes of Spain explained when presenting their Playhouse project, it is built in response to their children’s specific demands. Perhaps they thought:”If mummy and daddy make houses for other people, why can’t they make one for us?”

Keeping a promise made during a holiday on their grandparents’ farm in Finland last summer (and readers who have children will know how insistent they can be when it comes to keeping promises), the architects proceeded with the executive phase of the project, which may be viewed in the video they made to tell the story of their experience. (http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=DPg4buxzzV4)
The children were intensively involved in both design and construction. In two weeks the little clients could already take possession of their home, having learned a lot from the experience, such as the fact that it takes hard work to get what you want, and, above all, dreams can come true.

The project stands out for the delicate way in which it transposes the children’s imagination: the shapes are those of the prototype houses we all drew as children, and the interior has been adapted to meet the children’s needs. Its simplicity makes it perfect for interpretation by the children’s imagination as either a “house” or a “castle” complete with defensive tower.

The entire construction is made of timber from the grandparents’ forests or nearby sawmills. Traditional Finnish construction techniques were used to ensure that the identity of the place is preserved even in this miniature project, with only a small galvanised covering to protect the openings in the walls.

The outside of the house was painted with white stripes, leaving the rest untreated. The colour of the wood will change with the years, increasing the contrast with the painted parts, marking the flow of time.

The “Playhouse” is an example of how we can teach sustainable architecture playfully on a children’s scale by combining fairy-tale atmospheres with craftsmanship. Because architects have children too!


Design: Anna and Eugeni Bach, http://www.bacharquitectes.com, http://annaeugenibach.com
Assistants: Uma and Rufus Bach
Designed: July 20 and 21 2011
Built: August 10 to 24 2011
Clients: Uma and Rufus Bach
Built surface area: 13.5 m2
Budget: 800€
Photographs: Tiia Ettala, http://www.tiiaettala.com
Related link: www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=DPg4buxzzV4