Grown-up tree houses

From the beginning of the design process the two main goals of this house were: being a part of nature (touching and living it) and make the most of the view. Since the trees were our main inspiration, we designed a journey along the trees. The product, was a sleek plan to avoid excess excavation and to save all of the existent trees. The result, a tree house for both kids and grown ups. The walls and roofing are nothing but an aggregate to protect the family from the rain and make an emphasis in nature. The mix of glass, exposed concrete, wood and polycarbonate, let the exterior into the interior. More

This freestanding house-by-a-tree is a multipurpose wooden play structure, standing on its own construction. It can be erected close to trees that are unable to support additional weight. This tree house, conceived with contemporary design principles, is not modelled on any of the classic tree house forms that take their inspiration from either real houses or garden sheds. Instead, children are offered a different understanding of shapes, new spatial experiences and new forms of play. The house is made of spruce plywood, protected on the exterior by a colourless nano-varnish. The roof is covered in a roofing cardboard that shields against most kinds of unfavourable weather conditions. Furnishings are minimal, constructed from dowel pins... More

Trees are precious in Africa. They provide shelter for the elders at meeting time, for school children in the midday heat, for all to shield against the unrelenting elements. In a sense the tree has become iconic, almost mythical. A commission to design a house on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town created an opportunity to test our concerns and searches for contextual responsiveness and connectivity. The site, adjacent to a valley and stream, has a canopy of magnificent spreading umbrella Pines. These trees, majestic and sculptural, provided the primary reference and ultimately the structural concept for the house. Five tree-like structures anchor the roof to the ground and provide shelter for the functions gathered under. These tr... More

A Portsmouth University STUDIO 2 project carried out in Whitelands Woods, currently owned and managed by Jonathan West. The project leaders were David Yearley and Mary Weguelin. The soul of the project was to use the available materials at hand to create a treehouse dwelling that would accomodate a minimum of 4 people. However this number was later superceeded as the structure was able to carry a total of 14 people More

A striking pod-shaped structure built ten metres high in a redwood tree near Warkworth, north of Auckland, will soon become home to what is believed to be New Zealand’s only treehouse restaurant. The treehouse is the focus of a new and unusual advertising campaign for Yellow (currently on TVNZ and online). The Yellow campaign follows Aucklander Tracey Collins’ real-life mission to build a restaurant in a tree using only Yellow - the book, online and mobile. Peter Eising and his team at Pacific Environment Architects, who were chosen through Yellow, say the project has been a unique challenge. “I haven’t designed a treehouse since my childhood, let alone built a restaurant in one,” Mr Eising said. “The brief was ideal for... More

Nestled in the back corner of a Brentwood hills estate with spectacular views of the Getty Center and downtown Los Angeles, this 172 square foot accessory building was designed as a modern-day Tree House and more. It was conceived as a surprise gift from husband to wife. Reflective of her childhood affinity for tree houses, the intent was to recreate an adult environment for this now prominent art museum patron, art collector, and philanthropist. Not only does it function as a studio and lounge, the tree house is envisioned as a piece of art, drawing inspiration from the substantial collection curated throughout the property. We like to think of it a permanent piece of inhabitable sculpture. Critical to the execution of its design was... More

In April 2010 Blue Forest in partnership with Jessops Construction were awarded the contract for the development of three luxurious sustainable tree houses for Center Parcs Sherwood Forest. Each 170m2 tree house comprises of four double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, an open plan living space, a kitchen and a secondary tree house entertainment pod, complete with home cinema system and pool table. The exterior decks provide fantastic canopy views of the forest and include a hot tub, sauna and an outdoor dining area for guests. The tree houses have been designed to the highest standards and will achieve an ‘A’ Grade Energy Performance Certificate. The buildings feature a number of sustainable solutions, including, lake-source hea... More

Ordos 100 is a project in the Mongolian desert which will contain 100 villas designed by 100 different international architecture practices. The immediate context drove the decision of designing an introvert villa. As a result of the extreme weather, it has been chosen to bury the house taking advantage of the generosity of underground temperatures and therefore neutralizing the harsh winter and summer weather conditions. On the other hand, realizing the good weather during spring and autumn times, the villa responds to this duality by leaving a part of the construction completely exposed, and therefore completely extrovert. This way, the villa celebrates the duality of an introvert-extrovert house. By taking advantage of the app... More

Contemporary rural house with glazed conservatory for growing plants and herbs. Heating and cooling is provided by a geothermal heat pump with very low energy consumption. Minimal physical and carbon footprints. Site is a re cultivated garbage dump. House is built with local materials and labor. More