This project was inspired by the client’s wish to create a unique spatial experience connected to the familiar yet extraordinary sensation of climbing and exploring forests. Our aim was to design a space that fully embraces its natural surroundings.
This compact project presented several challenges. The primary challenge was our self-imposed condition: to build a fully functional cabin supported solely by a slender tree trunk, without additional pillars or multiple trees for support. Another challenge was designing a climate-friendly space that accommodates the growth of the tree. Furthermore, navigating the application process for such an unconventional housing structure, obtaining government permits, and integrating HVAC systems were also significant hurdles.
The structure is built around a steel pipe that is first split in half, then wrapped around the tree trunk and secured with four penetrable bolts, forming a rigid spine that supports the rest of the hut. The tree is stabilized horizontally with a bridge and two steel wires, ensuring the entire weight of the hut is transmitted vertically down the trunk without any eccentric load. Around this ‘spine’, a radiating double-layer plywood frame defines the inner and outer spaces.
△ Model
The thickness of the load-bearing ribs doubles as the external insulation layer of the ‘nest.’ The cabin’s outer layer of pine heartwood is shielded by a layer of wooden shingles, which will weather naturally over time and blend seamlessly with the surrounding forest’s greenery. Inside, the European alder veneer creates a warm and elegant atmosphere.
Set on a steep, forested hill near the Oda and Hardanger Fjords, this site hosts two ‘bird’s nest’ style treehouses. The architectural design uniquely responds to the terrain and natural conditions. The project is intricately integrated with nature, inseparable from its surroundings. Each treehouse is suspended 5 to 6 meters above the forest floor and secured to independent, growing pine trunks by a steel ring.
△ General layout plan
Technical Drawing
△ General layout plan
△ Plan view
△ Section diagram
Project Information
Project type: Cottage
Location: Oda, Norway
Architect: Helen & Hard
Floor area: 15 m²
Year: 2020
Lead Architects: Reinhard Kropf, Dag Strass, Simon Bauman
Structural design: Nordplan, Oddvin Myklebust
Manufacturer: aaneslandfrabrikker, nolimitation
Photographer: Sindre Ellingsen
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