Paris-based architectural and design studio Atelier LAVIT has recently completed its stunning Origin Treehouse. Located in Raray, France, and nestled around a 100-year-old oak tree, the bird's nest-inspired treehouse is the newest addition to the Les Cabanes des Grands Chênes treehouse hotel.
"The architectural challenge for Atelier LAVIT was to create a functional and comfortable hotel room, being faithful to the first inspiration of the project: a bird nest," Marco Lavit from AtelierLAVIT tells New Atlas.
The 23-sqm (248-sq ft) geometric treehouse cabin was built using locally sourced timber fromPFC-certified forests and is designed to reflect its gorgeous habitat, leaving guests with the impression that the cabin is natural extension of its treetop location.
The Origin treehouse is also designed so it can be completely dismantled without impacting the tree and re-built on another site. Natural fiber insulation, comprised of sheep wool, wood fiber and hemp materials, was used throughout the dwelling.
"Our woods come from local forest species so as to limit the carbon footprint, and are replanted to ensure the renewal of the forest,"says Lavit."We only use wood from PFC-certified forests: Douglas fir and larch are the most used species because they are naturally rot-proof, so they do not need treatment."
The interior of treehouse boasts raw floor-to-ceiling timber cladding, in-built wooden furniture and large glass windows throughout, overlooking the lush treetop views. The cabin itself features a surprisingly luxurious and vast interior, comprising a quiet and cozy lounge area, double bedroom, dressing room, fully equipped bathroom located on a separate level and rooftop terrace.
The rooftop terrace offers guest the chance to enjoy 360-degree views across the forest and is accessible via a wooden ladder hidden along one of the cabin's exterior walkways. "[It's]as surprising as unexpected because it's hidden by the exterior wooden cladding," says AtelierLAVIT.
To gain access to the treehouse, guests can enjoy a walk along a 30-m (98-ft) suspended walkway, which also provides access to the heated spa and relaxation zone, followed by a 10-m (33-ft) wooden suspended bridge leading directly to the Origin Treehouse.
Looking to the future, Atelier LAVIT will be working on new treehouse projects, floating wooden cabins and some underground homes for private clients.
"I love the feeling of manipulating the architecture as a 1:1 scale project, during the conceptual process, it's something closer to an object or a living architecture and I love to think about new space solutions in order to fit the maximum comfort in a minimum space," says Lavit, when asked what he loves about working with small spaces.
The Origin Treehouse cost €120,000 (US$148,640) to complete and can be booked for overnight stays via Les Cabanes des Grands Chênes. Take a look in the video below.
Source: Atelier LAVIT via Contemporist