METCALFE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Metcalfe Architecture & Design is a Philadelphia firm of architects artists, designers, fabricators and planners. We provide both architectural and exhibit design services to museums and education institutions, non-profits, retail and residential clients. We believe the two sides of our practice balance, inform and enrich one another.

Play is at the core of all our work. Working with museums has taught us that people are most receptive and alive when having fun. We believe that play is integral to creating environments that work for education, for retail, for workspace and for residential life.

As LEED-AP designers we work for sustainability and incorporate green design elements wherever possible.

We see play as putting things together that are unexpected. It's about testing the known against the unknown.

“Play teaches the habits most needed for intellectual growth.” Bruno Bettelheim

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play that a year of conversation.” Plato

The Little Treehouse
Philadelphia, PA
A 6,000 SF cafe and children's play center. The Little Treehouse was designed to provide a safe, creative, and actively engaging experience for children, and a relaxing, cozy, and sophisticated environment for the adults who care for them. The play area is divided into age-appropriate zones, and features custom-made installations, created from natural materials, designed to promote learning through play. Click on an image below to enlarge: