LO Residence Playroom/Bedroom

The LO Residence playroom/bedroom was conceived as a treehouse-like backyard fortress. The clients wanted a lively environment, one that would appeal to their two young sons now and as they grew older. Each aspect of the design was detailed to expose how everything was built, visually engaging the children in the construction process. All the architectural components were articulated with simple geometric forms, revealing functions, material layers, joints, and hardware. The clarity and expressiveness of traditional Japanese woodworking, such as Kaidan Dansu step chests, Tansu mobile storage cabinets, and Shoji Screen room dividers, informed the design process.

The choice of construction grade lumber and hardware, instead of finish lumber/hardware, not only lent itself well to the aesthetic goals, but made it easier to more cost-effectively realize the functional goals. The natural color of the lumber also works seamlessly with the existing parquet wood flooring. The sliding room dividers are made of stacked storage compartments, the cabinet doors covered in various usable surfaces: dry erase, cork, and chalkboards. Two compartment doors fold down to become tables, one in the play area for games/arts/crafts and one under the sleeping loft for homework. The stairs too are made of stacked storage boxes, accessible from three sides. Everything was prefabricated in the shop, thus limiting client inconvenience, reducing site time and construction debris, plus further increasing savings.