What is architecture when you are a child? The word ‘architecture’ sounds long, is therefore complicated in meaning and thus boring. Not fun. When architects undertake seemingly serious child-as-client consultation, the clean lines of modernism looked “normal”. Yet normality is of little interest to the child, normal sounds like an appreciation of occupation. What do you want to be when you grow up? Normal equals a balance of live-work. For a child work is not good. What is good is live-play. Play is fun. Fun is fantasy. Children pursue an architecture of fantasy. This architecture is not one of flush detailing. The upshot of ‘childish architecture’ means that (even on a tiny budget) architecture must dream. And if your children cannot dream what’s the point of trying to get them to engage in their built context?

WHAT_architecture thinks Disneyland Castles and Sponge Bob are probably more relevant to a child’s perception of architecture than Modernism, Post-Modernism, Deconstructivism or shadow gaps. It is not, however, all ‘castles in the air‘ as we accept we have to play a double-game of funding vs fun: one that appeals to all ages: children and adults. 8-88yo. An architecture that’s both childish yet sophisticated. A Square-yet-not-Pants-ism. So let’s play the Game of Anti-Architecture with children…

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