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For Jacobs designer Rafael Cordero, the challenge to design a playhouse for Dallas CASA’s Parade of Playhouses took on a special meaning this year.

The Richardson resident designed a house to honor his late father, Jose Ruben, who passed away seven months ago. “My father was a typhoon of energy his entire life, so I designed a typhoon for him,” Cordero said.

Long inspired by Japanese design, Cordero’s playhouse is called “Taifu,” for the Japanese word for typhoon. It features 80 individual slats of wood, one for each year of his father’s life. The wood slats climb in a cylindrical pattern, allowing children to climb both inside and to the top of the house. The house is open and includes a telescope for stargazing on the upper terrace. There’s a small, Asian-style bell to ring at the top, as well as handles to help children climb the spiral walls. The house is designed to interact with shadows and was carefully positioned in NorthPark to showcase its interaction with natural light.

While each playhouse must fit within specific dimensid rules, Cordero said he found the limitations fun.

“The more limits you have, the more creative you can be,” he said. “It is a fun challenge.”

This was Jacobs’ second year to design a house for the event. The downtown Dallas firm specializes in commercial and industrial design. Archer Western Herzog built the Taifu playhouse.

Dallas CASA’s Parade of Playhouses runs June 13 to 29 at NorthPark Center and features custom-designed and built children’s playhouses available to win by raffle. Dallas CASA’s signature event, Parade of Playhouses, spreads awareness about child abuse and neglect and also serves as an essential volunteer recruitment tool for the agency.

To learn more about volunteering or to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a playhouse, please visit dallascasa.org.

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Richardson toy builder, Earthbound Martian, creates Castle Jade for the Dallas CASA Parade of Playhouses 

Castle Jade, Earthbound Martian

Dallas CASA’s 29th annual Parade of Playhouses features 13 imaginative children’s playhouses, each one custom designed and built by local architects and builders who donate the houses.

For toy company owners Chris and Cally Rogers of Earthbound Martian, building their second playhouse for Dallas CASA’s annual Parade of Playhouses was particularly emotional this year. Their company’s “resident elf,” Jade Byas, passed away in January 2024, and they decided to build Castle Jade in her honor. Jade loved castles and the color purple, so the initial design was straightforward: a castle with a purple marble tower.

“The actual house went up really quickly this year, but it’s the details we spend the most time on,” Chris Rogers said. “We really let our inner kids drive the design.

Castle Jade features specially made “stones” of foam, a tiny fairy door, a purple marble armory, swords and shields donated by Black Dragon Armory and even a glittery dragon claw mark, from an imaginary magical dragon attack.

The greatest challenge during construction came from a severe thunderstorm that hit Richardson in May. Castle Jade was being constructed in Martin’s driveway, and he was concerned the 70-mile an hour winds would damage the playhouse. “We built it to withstand dragon attack but turns out that’s good for massive thunderstorms, too,” Martin said. The house was undamaged in the storm.

Ultimately, it’s Dallas CASA’s mission that motivates Martin and his company. “As much as we love building these houses, we would not do it just for anyone,” he said. “Dallas CASA is just a great cause.”

Martin has already been thinking ahead to next year – really far ahead, in fact. He’s thinking about building a futuristic vehicle with an observation tower and swivel seating. 

The 29th annual Dallas CASA Parade of Playhouses continues through June 30 at NorthPark Center. The playhouses will be raffled off, and tickets can be purchased in person at NorthPark Center or online at dallascasa.org.