Habitable Polyhedron is an amazing backyard playhouse designed for a family in the suburbs of Bogota, Columbia, by Manuel Villa. The young parents wished to have an independent space where they could enjoy their day to day house activities, a space for reading, playing, etc., with their newborn child. The architect proposed to build a small building to complement and support outside activities for long term use. The building would serve as a shelter for the child to share with his parents, and later, it would be his own personal activities and hobbies setting.

The 80 square foot (7.5 square meters) structure faces the natural landscape, with little windows on the sides and at the top that supplies natural light and optimal air circulation. The wood-clad interiors features a drawing area with a desk and ledge, and a resting place (sofa). The project is inspired in the shape’s perception processes the children develop in their first years of life. The basic shapes of things and their difference are key elements in the development of knowledge, and specifically in acquiring reading skills and geometric basic concepts.

Photos: Manuel Villa / Sergio Gómez