Treehouse, Drayton Park Primary School, drdh architects, 2005

"The tree was the only natural feature in a hard urban playground, but had been fenced off due to its roots breaking up the tarmac surface and making it dangerous. The preparatory works for the tree house involved breaking up the surface around the tree to allow the roots access to water. This new ground was covered by the open deck of the interior floor of the house which surrounds the trunk. A spiral stair, with a rope handrail climbs up into the branches of the tree, allowing the children the opportunity to look across the playground from within the leaves. At the top of the stairs, provision for a future slide to be fitted was allowed, through a removable panel, once funding allowed."

A lovely solution for a lonely tree, constructed by the BA (Hons) Architecture students of Studio 1 in 2005 at London Metropolitan University  under the leadership of Daniel Rosbottom and David Howarth, principals of drdh architects.  The project was a finalist in the Architects' Journal Small Projects Award 2005.

Full disclosure:  Daniel and David are my architects, my church's architects, and have lately been here in Oklahoma to eat hot dogs, see the buffalo and try to comprehend an OU football game.   But mostly to bring our little congregation an amazing, innovative design for a new building that nestles into our 100 acres of prairie like it knew beforehand the tallgrass and the wind.  There will, of course, be a playground.  I'll keep you posted.