Building at the intersection of learning and fun

Through the creation of a small, replica shotgun house, architect and designer Germane Barnes and a team of students from the University of Miami School of Architecture have built Play-House at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The playscape balances recreation and learning and highlights the historical significance of these South Florida homes and the contributions of Black residents in Miami’s development.

Credit: Video by David Paula/University of Miami

Germane Barnes, associate professor and director of the Community, Housing & Identity Lab (CHIL) at the University of Miami, pays homage to a distinctive style of homes found in parts of South Florida, including Overtown and Coconut Grove, with his installation Play-House. By transforming the Paradise Courtyard at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami with a pared-down replica of a shotgun house, Barnes and a group of CHIL students created a playscape that blends recreation with learning. Play-House underscores the historical significance of these homes and the contributions of Black workers to Miami's development.

BYLINE: By David Paula

https://youtu.be/dIe-t0kwgfI