Putting Play Back into the Heart of Home

From award-winning estates in Barking to disaster-relief camps in Ethiopia, architects and designers are making a compelling case for why play is too important to leave to chance.

The importance of play has become an area of interest for architects and designers as evidenced by the winning entry in the Accessible Housing category of last year’s British Homes Awards, designed by White Arkitekter and delivered by Wates. The Gascoigne West Phase 2 (above) has been developed by Be First, the urban regeneration company of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and as well as introducing 386 new homes and a vibrant community hub also includes a 1,500m² playground. Public spaces were co-designed with young residents through White Arkitekter's Places for Girls research initiative, creating inclusive play spaces that genuinely reflect the needs of the local community. The neighbourhood strikes a careful balance between honouring its heritage and welcoming modern development, fostering social wellbeing and a strong sense of belonging. Says Linda Thiel, Lead Architect on the scheme, “This project enabled a paradigm shift in how the public spaces can be used; a move from estate to neighbourhood.”

Félicie Krikler, Director and Head of Residential at Barr Gazetas and British Homes Awards judge, is someone else clearly passionate about play. She was part of the team, along with Barr Gazetas colleague Giuseppe Nastasi, play consultant Karen Newell, Karl Wallasch, fire engineer with Trigon Fire and artist and designer Adam Nathaniel Furman who are on the longlist for this year’s annual Davidson Prize competition, which recognises transformative architecture of the home for their entry No Snakes, Just Ladders (below).

Responding to the theme Changing the Game: Building Play into Housing, this proposal looks at whether second staircases become more than a safety requirement. As taller buildings grow more common under denser planning policy, buildings over 18 metres must include two staircases, consuming a significant amount of space sits dormant daily. It reimagines this overlooked infrastructure as a shared commons: a playful, inclusive environment fostering connection, curiosity, and everyday life for all ages and abilities. The Davidson Prize winners will be announced next month.

London’s Museum of the Home played host to a modular flatpack playground earlier this year, which was developed by Playrise, a new UK charity, Playrise, which developed the system for disaster-relief zones and refugee camps worldwide. Founded by photographer Alexander Meininger, the initiative was co-designed with displaced communities in Ethiopia and Egypt, working directly with children, NGOs, and local leaders to understand their needs.

Photo credits: Lewis Ronald

The lightweight, reconfigurable structures are built from sustainably sourced iroko hardwood and assembled using only basic tools. Modular components including nets, ropes and basketball hoops can be tailored to each site and community. Individual parts can be replaced if damaged, ensuring longevity in challenging environments. The first permanent structure will be installed in Aysaita, Ethiopia, in May 2026, with further deployments in Egypt to follow.

And no strangers to flatpack themselves, IKEA also contributed to the dialogue around play with its recent Milan Design Week offering. The "Food For Thought" exhibition (pictured above) positions play as central to meaningful design and everyday life. The IKEA PS 2026 collection embodies "playful functionality" pieces that are practical yet joy-inducing through expressive, unexpected details, like an inflatable chair and rocking bench. Creative Leader Maria O'Brian frames this as "playful, expressive simplicity," while Global Home Furnishing & Retail Design Manager Patrik Gustafsson describes IKEA's ethos as "stubbornly optimistic," arguing there are "countless ways to create a more playful and meaningful life at home." By pairing designers with chefs and turning food into performance, the exhibition treats play not as frivolity, but as a critical design and social value.

And when according to 2025 research from the University of Exeter, published in Wellbeing, Space & Society and funded by the Medical Research Council over a third of children don’t play outdoors on school days and 20 per cent don’t play outdoors on weekend, there’s never been a better time for those involved in residential design to take play seriously.