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Treehouse World of Living

The company WeberHaus in Rheinau-Linx, Baden, close to the French border near Strasbourg, is successfully involved in the construction of houses. However, the craftsmen at this longstanding company had never yet built a treehouse. With this ambitious project, the company founder Hans Weber not only wanted to add another attraction to the company-owned construction, living and adventure park World of Living, but also fulfil a personal lifelong dream. Right from the start, the company management was of the view that the new treehouse should be in modern style. All the same, when the design was presented, the clients were surprised because this treehouse was nothing like they had imagined. However, the futuristic shape of the concept managed to convince the innovation-oriented decision-makers at WeberHaus. Once the design had met with a positive response, the suitability of two locations within the World of Living park was examined. Considerations with regard to park design and the arborist’s expertise also went into the assessment, so that finally, one of two possible oaks was chosen.

The construction of the treehouse was based on a design from baumraum and undertaken with the expert guidance of a master craftsman and trainer in the company’s own apprentice workshop. The treehouse’s static system is largely based on two elements: the elliptically-shaped treehouse rests not in the oak itself, but on seven angled and conically-shaped supports made of Siberian larch. The supports are hinged to the treehouse and concrete foundation and stand at different angles to each other. The system used to arrange the supports is not immediately apparent to the observer. During the design phase, a number of framework variants were simulated using models and then optimised with the help of a complex computer system. Unlike the treehouse itself, the loads of the terrace and stairs are braced by the tree. From the terrace, a catwalk leads to the higher treehouse. Nor was anything left to chance with regard to the oak’s resilience: a tree surveyor examined the oak’s health and tested its resilience using modern simulation methods ensuring that the treehouse stands firmly and safely, even during severe storms.

The vaulted interior welcomes visitors with a picture wallpaper which shows the crown of the oak as it would be seen without the treehouse. The photography also contains text blocks in German, English and French, which associatively describe the tree as a special living thing in all its diversity. Even after spending quite some time in the treehouse, one can still discover new plays on words, hidden amongst the leaves. The interior is in indigenous oak and its solid finishing means it can also handle large numbers of visitors. The roll containers and pull-out boxes integrated into the seating areas can be used either as meeting tables or for storage. Two skylights and the extensive glazing on all sides offer views of the park and into the tree-top.

Trees an oak
Height terrace: 5 m, cabin: 6,5 m
Bearing structure Terrace suspended from the oak by means of stainless steel cables and textile straps;
the treehouse’s weight rests on seven asymmetrically arranged, and conically-shaped supports made of larch (glued wood)
Interior area 8,8 qm
Terrace area 32,6 qm
Façade construction from inside to outside: picture wallpaper; 11 mm plasterboard; 20 mm larch boarding; steel framework (laser parts); flanking wooden arch of larch with 100 mm mineral insulation; 20 mm spruce boarding; foil; 20 mm battens/air space; lasered larch boarding, rounded
roofing Sheet zinc, preoxidised as standing seam roofing