Concept
For people used to the constant stresses of modern life, the tree house offers a life at a slower pace. The tree house guest measures the passage of time through the growth of the trees wrapping the house, closely watching each branch and leaf, tending to the trees as needed. Little by little, the branches spread and are guided through the facade of the house. Focusing the guest’s attention on nurturing the plants of the forest disconnects the guest from the stresses of modern life.
The tree house is a framework for practicing meditation, surrounding the user in the sounds and textures of nature. Approaching the tree house, the guest discovers the house only through the warm glow of the hearth, coming through the branches of the trees. The facade is a polished corrugated steel, visible as a blend of colors and light of the forest.
Building Plans + Section
Level 1
Level 2
Meditate at the forest floor or in the canopy
Ground Floor
The ground floor of the tree house opens up to the forest floor on two sides. While inside, the guest experiences the warmth and coziness of the hearth, while still visually connected to the lower level of the forest, watching activity on the forest floor. The daily tasks are done at the ground level, using the hearth to cook meals, with simple furniture and shelving storing necessary tools and supplies. The dry toilet is in a small room on the ground floor, its walls doubling as a ladder to ascend to the second floor.
Second Floor
The second floor is open on two sides to the canopy level of the forest. The guest sleeps on a simple mattress and can open the windows to experience the breeze that rustles the branches around the house. Furniture and clutter is minimal to avoid any distractions and keep the guest focused on nature and meditation.
Canopy Roof
The guest can climb the trees from the second floor to get to a roof platform at the canopy level.
Generational Construction
The tree house is designed to provide the potential for many different meditation experiences, connecting with the plants, the forest floor, the forest canopy, and the inside of a tree. The materials and construction technique achieves this as simply as possible. The structure consists of interlocking CNC milled Cross Laminated Timber Panels that are fabricated off site and assembled together. When the panels are milled, they are carved out, lightening the panels at for easier transfer, and using the natural beauty of the panels to create the feeling of being inside a carved out tree. The facade of the tree house is made of prefabricated galvanized steel panels, providing a cost effective and durable cladding.
Every guest helps nurture the trees during their stay at the tree house. Observation and cultivation of the plants is an integral part of the process of connecting the guests with nature. Bendable steel straps are bolted to the facade, and can be loosened to give the trees room to grow along the facade. Stray branches are clipped and pruned when needed to guide the trees around the house. When the trees intersect, they are grafted together, adding to their structural support and minimizing any structural stresses they put on the tree house. As the trees grow, the trunks wrapping the second floor widen and become climbable, allowing an adventurous user to ascend to the roof to meditate surrounded by the trees.
Adjustable steel straps guide tree growth.