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Meditation Treehouse

Lago di Bracciano is just a few kilometres from the gates of Rome. For the Romans, this charmingly located and easily reached lake is perfect for recreation. The backdrop, with its wooded mountain slopes and range of tourist amenities, is somewhat reminiscent of the great lakes on the edge of the Alps in Northern Italy. The area is well known for its wide range of culinary specialities such as game, wild mushrooms and sweet chestnuts. The client’s property is only accessible via narrow roads and an unpaved, sand-strewn driveway. The extensive property comprises slightly hilly meadows, a house and a few agricultural buildings. What makes this property special, however, is the chestnut grove on its eastern edge: around two dozen ancient trees with gnarled bark form an impressive backdrop. In early autumn, hundredweights of chestnuts are harvested and processed into a wide range of delicacies. Now this place was to be functionally expanded. The client had long toyed with the idea of having a treehouse built for herself. Her idea was that this space in the tree would become a place for meditating and relaxing for her and her friends.

The treehouse’s design is based on a clear and clean-lined vocabulary. The closed area and the terrace have a square footprint. Both sections are on the same level and are reached via a single staircase. Beneath the cube of the treehouse, there are two supports which bear most of the load.
The chestnut tree, on the other hand, by way of steel cables and textile straps, takes the weight of the terrace and the front part of the treehouse. The framework and the terrace are made of untreated larch. For the façade, a very hard tropical wood, tatajuba, which has a reddish-brown colouring, was used. The large windows which reach down to the floor, and the doors can be opened fully, allowing a flowing transition between interior and exterior. The glassed roof also provides plenty of light as well as a view of the tree’s crown. Only the east façade, with its narrow window slit, is of relatively inconspicuous design. White walls and dark flooring of oiled jatobá wood are used for the interior and underline the clean-lined design. The furnishings comprise only a simple bench area and lots of cushions upon which the treehouse visitors can get comfortable for meditating.

Trees an old chestnut
Height 4 m
Bearing structure Around 65% of the treehouse load rests on two supports;
the smaller part of the treehouse and the terrace
are suspended from the chestnut by means of steel cables and textile straps
Interior area 14,6 qm
Terrace area 16 qm
Façade construction from inside to outside: 11 mm plasterboard, cream laminated; 22 mm OSB; 60 mm mineral insulation; wind foil; 20 mm air space; 20 mm horizontal tatajuba boarding