Portable Play
Light, mobile and interactive play to be deployed anywhere.
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We hosted a Virtual Roundtable on February 2, 2023 during which we discussed the therapeutic aspects of play in the context of trauma, addressing design drivers and potential challenges. The Portable Play design project was then launched through an all-day design Charrette hosted at Massachusetts College of Art and Design on March 24, 2023, to get ideas flowing with volunteer artists, designers and fabricators. Read more here >
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Building on ideas developed at the first charrette, we hosted another intensive design Charrette at the BSA Space in Boston on January 24, 2024, yielding a variety of ideas and geometries. The group moved forward with four buildable concepts that were developed in detail over the Spring months. The designers further developed these concepts in discrete work sessions and evolved their design into three-dimensional and preliminary technical drawings to set the stage for fabricating prototypes. See Design Concepts >
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Portable Play will be showcased at Palazzo Mora and Marinaressa Gardens in Venice, where the European Cultural Center’s Time Space Existence exhibition is opening on 10 May 2025 and It will be open during the Venice Biennale between May and November 2025.
Portable Play at the 2025 Time Space Existence Exhibition
The Global Design Initiative for Refugee Children (GDIRC) will present Portable Play at the European Cultural Center’s Time Space Existence exhibition, opening on 10 May 2025 in Venice.
This project introduces two innovative prototypes designed to create safe, accessible play spaces for children living in temporary environments. The designs are conceived as sets of modular elements providing a structural framework that can accept various components to achieve different play interactions.
Location: Palazzo Mora & Marinaressa Gardens, Venice, Italy
Date: May - November 2025
Key Team Members*: Andrii Vorobiov, Carley Elliot, Claire Pang, Diana Khalifeh, Mitch Ryerson, Nathalie Beauvais, Patricia Seitz, Shirine Boulos Anderson, Tina Binazir
*Many volunteers have contributed to the portable play initiative
Construction
Both prototypes were developed and fabricated between January and March 2025 through a collaborative and hands-on process. The team met regularly over Zoom to refine the concepts, finalize design details, and coordinate production.
In-person sessions at the woodshop allowed for critical testing, assembly trials, and design modifications. These sessions were key to resolving construction details, optimizing assembly methods, and ensuring each element was durable, transportable, and easy to reassemble on site.
Climbing Hive
The Climbing Hive is a modular play structure designed for children in displaced and migrant communities. Inspired by hexagonal forms in nature, its geometry ensures strength and stability while supporting climbing, sitting, and imaginative play. The flat-packed components are easy to assemble with minimal tools, allowing communities to adapt, expand, or relocate the structure as needed. It offers a flexible, child-centered space for movement, connection, and joy in uncertain environments.
Time-lapse video of the Climbing Hive assembly
Cube Climber
The Cube Climber is a modular, prefabricated play structure designed for migrant communities where mobility is essential and permanent construction is often not possible. Made from accessible materials and assembled without specialized tools, it can be easily transported, set up, and reconfigured. Its colorful units support imaginative play and physical activity, with options to add elements like slides or ladders. The flat-pack design ensures efficient shipping and reuse, making it a practical, adaptable solution for communities on the move.
Time-lapse video of the Cube Climber assembly