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Homes Get a Lift From Climbing Walls
You heard right — climbing walls have shot past the gym into homes. See how backyards, entryways and even bedrooms are enabling the ascent
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
A new trend in homes is bringing X Games and REI adventure right into the house. Residential climbing walls now let climbers scale their backyard fences, rec rooms — even bedrooms. Check out a wide range of climbing walls from toddler friendly to expert and natural-looking faux rocks to explosions of color, then decide if a climbing wall is for you.
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We'll begin with the extreme version of the home climbing wall. The 36½-foot-high climbing wall in this private home spans four stories. The design process was a collaboration between the homeowner, the architects at Krannitz Gehl and Entre Prises Climbing Walls (which makes the walls for REI and big climbing clubs).
"When we were planning the entry, the owner, who is an avid climber and has lots of climbing friends, suggested it would be a great spot for a climbing wall," says architect Barry Gehl. "We contacted Entre Prises to coordinate in terms of the structure and support required."
Also concerned with safety, the group collaborated on where to place the routes so as to avoid the danger of hitting the glass wall and the stair railings. Entre Prises then sculpted the wall and created routes from beginner to difficult, placing two self-arresting rappelling gears at the top accordingly.
"When we were planning the entry, the owner, who is an avid climber and has lots of climbing friends, suggested it would be a great spot for a climbing wall," says architect Barry Gehl. "We contacted Entre Prises to coordinate in terms of the structure and support required."
Also concerned with safety, the group collaborated on where to place the routes so as to avoid the danger of hitting the glass wall and the stair railings. Entre Prises then sculpted the wall and created routes from beginner to difficult, placing two self-arresting rappelling gears at the top accordingly.
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Don't let that first image intimidate you. You can start small and include a mini climbing wall on your backyard jungle gym for little ones. A set of a dozen climbing "rocks" will run you around $65, and you can find them everywhere from sports stores to eBay. Some pieces like this one come already put together as an optional component of a jungle gym set.
| "We suggested a climbing wall as an option, as we have avid climbers in the office and the client requested play options for their active girls," says Jamie Morf of Shades of Green Landscape Architecture. "We contacted a local climbing gym for help with the layout and choice of climbing holds and gave them the parameters of the ages of the girls and the space available." As for safety, "the fall height was limited by the height of the wall, and rubberized safety surface tiles of the appropriate thickness for the fall height were used near the wall," she says. "The holds are placed such that it is more of a horizontal traverse than a vertical climb, so the children are never more than several feet off the ground." |
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This colorful climbing wall adds a whole new dimension to this large home gym.
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A big beanbag placed below this wall catches anyone who has a spill.
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This loft has two options for those who would like to make the ascent — a climbing wall and a ladder.
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| A climbing wall is a great addition to a room full of fun elements like this curved tube slide and indoor treehouse fort. |
| This townhouse bedroom is filled with rainy-day activities, including a small basketball court and a climbing wall. |
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Kathleen Reardon of RD Architects laughs about the way this climbing wall originally came about. "I think maybe a rock climbing wall was mentioned at the beginning of the project as sort of a wishful joke, and we ended up finding a place for one in the daughter’s room," she says.
The designers also integrated an artful mural into the climbing wall, creating a waterfall around the course.
The designers also integrated an artful mural into the climbing wall, creating a waterfall around the course.
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A climbing wall also adds texture and style, serving as a strong accent wall. The "rocks" come in all different colors and sizes, and certainly spark conversation. Note the way the designers have paid attention to the way this climbing wall is lit.
More:
Houzz Tour: 'James Bond' Treehouse in Greece
For the Kids: Secret Forts Indoors
More:
Houzz Tour: 'James Bond' Treehouse in Greece
For the Kids: Secret Forts Indoors
Ideabook published on June 8, 2012.
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http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=7
http://www.instructables.com/id/Freestanding-Indoor-Rock-Climbing-Wall-For-150/
So it's nice to see them being designed to fit into houses and actually look half nice
I like this idea for extra storage
http://media-cache-ec8.pinterest.com/upload/137852438564325606_Jow6n6pQ.jpg
Hope to put one in my house soon
Don't want to sound like a climbing bore, but none of those photos show decent padding if a kid fell off.
The beanbag would most likely end up with twisted ankles
Argghhh I'm starting to sound like my dad.
Sod it, kids should just climb and falling is a learning experience
Didn't do me any harm :)
I spoke with each designer about safety in terms of the horizontal over vertical routes and padding underneath; some had clients that were more concerned than others; the judgement is up to the parent, and some should not even consider a climbing wall.
When I was a kid we didn't have helmets, pads or car seats. Parental decisions are personal.
marcie
http://custm.co/hz/26