sam + pam

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

sam + pam is a play structure for kids. The two-metre by two-metre twin structure is made entirely out of 2×3” spruce-pine-fir protected from the elements with a clear varnish. ‘Sam + Pam’ suggests new forms of play from the premise of doing “much with little”. Inside the slatted three-storey towers are ladders for climbing up to various perches and protected spaces. Kids can clamber through the multiple entrances connected by a rope bridge and monkey bars. Outside one of the towers, a pole slide offers another escape route. sam + pam is one of six abodes built for the Playhouse Challenge, an initiative by sustainable wood-product manufacturer Canfor that teams architects with builders to erect unconventional playhouses. The structures are eventually donated to communities and charities throughout British Columbia. This year, the funds raised went to the B.C. Children’s Hospital’s ‘Child Health B.C.’

sam + pam are twins. They are very much the same, only different. The big day is here: they are ready to leave their lumberyard in Vanderhoof. Swinging their rope bridge between them, they trundle off, in search of fun. Suddenly, the quiet is broken by shrieks. Children play, adventure reigns, imaginations soar.“Sam, why are you laughing?” Sam blurts, “I-I-It tickles!”