Developed in the United States in the 1800s, The balloon frame radically democratized construction throughout the country, eliminating the need for the complex joinery required by previous timber building systems. Variations on this method continue to supply most of the housing and small construction in the United States to this day. Frames, built on the ground, are lifted into place by teams, bringing work crews together to assemble and create a space they would not be able to produce alone.

This proposal for a temporary pavilion to be built at a youth camp utilizes this method to create a container for several hundred helium-filled balloons. A shimmering, floating canopy, constrained by clear acrylic and a plastic tarp is in constant movement. The tarp itself, attached to the frame via ropes, can be adjusted to allow the balloons to expand above the frame and create a dome, or pulled down to bring the field of balloons closer to campers. Sun, wind, and rain will cause the environment to be constantly moving and changing. At the end of the pavilion’s life, all of the common construction materials can be easily re-purposed for other uses, while campers can take a balloon home with them to remember their time at camp.