Treehouses for grown-ups

Leading treehouse designers Baumraum designed this treehouse in Flanders, Belgium, for use as a conference centre.

It boasts a variety of green features, including demand controlled ventilation, an air source heat pump for heating, plus a timber-frame structure and timber windows. All wood used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Deveopers Sappi Fine Paper said the Treehouse is intended to be a a platform for "like-minded individuals and companies to come together to find ways to embrace sustainability in their daily activities".

The building consists of two cabins on different levels, with stairs and connecting terraces. The design is inspired by the idea of a sheet of paper that is pleated to enclose both internal and external spaces. The structure rests on 19 angled steel stilts, with the staircase connected to a pine tree, minimising impact on the forest floor.

The lower cabin houses a coffee lounge, pantry, restroom and technology room. while the upper room is designed to host meetings and other events.

Check out the video below for more on the project: