thermochromic tiles of recycled HDPE clad the 'iceberg' diving platform by bulot+collins

positioned in the middle of willy ponds near strafford, new hampshire, is a diving platform designed by bulot+collins to be collaboratively built by the staff and campers of beam camp. constructed from timber, flotation barrels and 1400 thermochromic tiles of recycled HDPE, the project aims to help the kids cultivate hands-on skills while exploring creative thinking.

all images © bulot+collins

every year, an international competition is held to find an installation that will benefit the summer camp by its design and function, and in 2019 the iceberg by bulot+collins was selected and built in the course of three weeks by 104 campers, aged from 10 to 17. the slanted timber structure is buoyed by a series of empty barrels and the frame is covered with plywood panels (all the wood was sourced locally) on which are placed several hundred tiles of thermochromic plastic. these tiles were manufactured on-site by the campers according to an innovative process that was exclusively developed by the design team for this project.

the plastic is recycled HDPE that was melted and molded into triangular shapes, and covered with a mix of resin and thermochromic pigment. once the tiles are glued onto the structure, their glistening surface turns from different shades of blue in the cold to a polar white in the heat, so that the iceberg would appear to progressively melt under the sun. in addition to offering a stimulating sight, the responsive quality of the structure to its environment addresses in a lighthearted and poetic manner the heavy issue of polar ice melt.

the combination of angular volumes creates an exciting recreation space of 63 m2 (700 square feet) that revolves around monumental stairs leading up to the highest point of the iceberg, a platform from which the campers can summon their courage to take a 3 meter (10 feet) jump into the waters of willy pond. mirroring the stairs, a slanted beach allows for a welcome resting area for sunbathing, as well as an opportunity to jump from a lesser height.

the construction of the structure was a participative process, during which the counsellors and the designers supervized the campers as they sawed, sanded, melted, poured, carried and fastened. as architects accustomed to working in an environment where the designer, the client and the users are often three distinct parties, bulot+collins were stimulated to have the future users play an active role in the building process of the project. this blurring of boundaries familiarized campers with the subtle implications of building a space, and allowed them to evolve in a structure that they built with their own hands.

project info:

project name: iceberg

location: willey ponds lake, strafford, new hampshire, USA

design: bulot+collins

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom