Architecture as a verb.
A person’s world should be larger than the institution they live in.
The life of the mind
deserves a place in
the life of care.
PLAY is the architectural programme of OBAMBULO CIO. We develop architectural projects within places of care and confinement, including children’s homes, hospitals and prisons. Our current proposals are in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe.
Our work draws on the arts, sciences, philosophy and faith: ways through which people encounter the world and give expression to what matters to them.
Explore our philosophyMatabeleland, Zimbabwe. Three proposals for 2027.
Through play, children create worlds of their own.
Through astronomy, they encounter the vastness of the one they share. At Ethandweni Children’s Home, PLAY proposes a playground with astronomy provision. Children could invent games together and explore questions about the universe and their place within it.
Explore Ethandweni
A place to pray, worship and belong.
At Mlondolozi, Khami Prison, a Christian chapel would offer women a place for prayer, shared worship and pastoral support. Within a life shaped by confinement, it would make room for reflection and belonging, with participation always freely chosen.
Explore Mlondolozi
An action. A sound. An answer.
At St Francis, within Ingutsheni Central Hospital, an outdoor music installation would support children with severe or profound learning disabilities. It would create opportunities for children to initiate an exchange, express what they feel, listen or take pleasure in sound, with support suited to their ways of engaging.
Explore St Francis
Help make room
for a larger life.
Expertise, local partnership and support can bring these ideas into everyday use.
Support PLAY