As children, we all loved climbing trees and following the ant trails to explore their habitat, but now a days children connect more with digital world than with real world. While climbing trees are often considered as a mere adventurous activity, in reality, it plays a significant role in connecting children with nature. Though screen-time is very much a part of daily life, children who spend more time in outdoor activities feel less anxious, more joyful and are more vigilant. Understanding how trees and activities attached to them help in better cognitive development of children, Archlore come up with an idea of a Tree Bamboo Pod-A playscape which is more than your regular tree house. Archlore is a sustainable design practice initiated by a creative duo Ar. Syeda Hafsa Fatima and Ar. Syed Warris Hussain.

With cities becoming concrete jungles, it is always a challenge to provide children with opportunities to explore nature and find fulfillment in it too. But one cannot neglect the fact that an outdoor play into nature boosts confidence in children. Not only that but it allows children to explore and connect with non-human entities, thus making them more empathetic towards nature and life that shares the earth with us. 

Karachi, with its brimming population, requires an ample amount of land to provide housing facilities. In order to cater to the need of shelter, green or open spaces are often compromised and encroached thus making the metropolis a concrete jungle not suitable to live in. Such dire conditions require creative design interventions that can serve as an oasis and provide green pause spaces. Archlore realized the importance of this need by proposing a playscape that is not only around trees but it provides an opportunity to children to explore their outdoors in a safe environment.

Bamboo being the main building material, the playscape comprises of three bamboo pods, designed around three trees in a small public park. The area does not have much activities centered around children, thus making it a very liveless and mundane space for them. The client wanted to make better use of the public park by attracting children to access the space. It was a challenge for the architects to maximize the use of the garden by not only engaging children with the space but also making use of the existing trees instead of cutting them.

The limited space further added to the challenge but the designers saw it as a potential to explore their own creativity and make the most of the available space. The three trees used for the playscape were seen as the core to the whole design, allowing architects to reminisce the significance of trees in their childhood.

As with every childhood, tree played a significant role in connecting the designers with the nature. The fascinating memories of observing birds and insects making their trails in and around trees had always intrigued them. They would often wonder how intriguing it would have been had they had access to a magic staircase that would take them high above in the trees so they could further explore the wonderful worlds hidden in the trees.

This childhood enchantment with trees became the basis of the Bamboo Tree Pods. The two-levelled pods allow children to spend their hours up above and around the trees where they can safely explore without the fear of falling. While the three trees work as the nesting space where children can relax and play with their friends, the bridges around the trees and the branches connect all three trees together. These bridges make it as a holistic outdoor playscape where a child experiences the indoor and outdoor at the same time while being connected to the nature. The bridge transforms into a slide, making it all the more thrilling experience for children.

The main building material for this whole project is bamboo. This project is a prime example of how a thoughtful design can add value to the mundane, unused space. Not only that but the architects went a step further with an empathetic approach towards design by ensuring to  use of the trees instead of removing them. A simple but meaningful design, using natural building material makes the Bamboo Pod Playscape a sustainable and environmentally apt design intervention.

The elliptical form of the pods was achieved by bending bamboos and a framework is made using split bamboos. With its 15 feet of height and 9 feet of diameter, each pod provides an ample space to the children to conduct small group activities inside the pod. Whereas the bamboo bridges work both, as corridors and outdoor playing nooks. This humble yet fun project is a small step to allow children to explore beyond their gadget screens and learn about nature by consociating with it directly.

Project facts

Project name: Bamboo Pods

Architects/Interior Designer: Archlore

Location: Karachi, Pakistan

Completion date: February, 2024

All images © Archlore.

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bamboo tree house