Jack in a Box

Jack in a Box is a design solution which makes the imaginary reality so that the child can live within their fantasy, becoming 'Alice'. They are confronted by a simple box. When switched on, the inflatable structure inside begins to fill with air powered by an integrated fan. In a sequence of events, the dolls' house roof opens and the walls collapse to allow the organic structure to grow out of the box.

Guy Hollaway Architects in collaboration with Hemingway Design presents ‘Jack in a Box’. Guy Hollaway designs contemporary bespoke Architecture and Wayne Hemingway is best known for Red or Dead and his heritage approach to design to a multitude of different scales.

‘Jack in the Box’ is a contemporary and creative idea to a doll’s house.

This is not a dolls house.

Jack in the box is a design solution which makes the imaginary reality, so that the child can live within their fantasy, becoming ‘Alice’. The idea grows from our belief that a doll’s house is a platform to engage, igniting imagination so that a child can escape from the everyday’s of reality into his or her own sanctuary, a result of their own creative imagination.

What is it?

Jack in the box provides an immersive physical escape zone.

How?

A child is confronted by a simple box. When the power button is switched on the inflatable structure inside begins to fill with air powered by an integrated fan. In a sequence of events the doll’s house roof opens and the walls collapse to allow the organic structure to grow out of the box. As a complete contrast to the box the inflatable structure has an organic architectural shape providing a soft-­‐ play environment space. The inflated structure is fully erected in less than a minute to its approximate height of 1.5m. All its features and proportions relate to the size of a child. The inflatable structure is fully collapsible at the push of a button and then can be easily folded back into its home.

Jack in the box is transportable, mobile, and can be used both internally and externally.

Jack in the box although looking like a graphical representation of a typical two-­‐up two down house suggests an element of surprise, that things are not always what them seem, which is spelled out ‘this is not a dolls house’ across the roof. Out of the very conformist box grows a wild sensory sanctuary, a soft-­‐ play environment which is a blank canvas for imagination.