An Astral Experience - Yellow Treehouse

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Designed by Pacific Environments Architects Ltd., Yellow Tree-house is an award-winning project, located 10m off the ground in the wilderness in New Zealand.

For Pacific Environments, the commission to design a tree-house was like a dream come true. Built for a reality TV show, the idea of this award-winning project was that everything used for it had to be acquired by using the Yellow Page Listings. The form of the restaurant, made possible by the technological know how, is inspired by many forms found in nature - The chrysalis/cocoon protecting the emerging butterfly/moth, perhaps an onion/garlic clove form hung out to dry. It is also seen as a lantern, a beacon at night that simply glows yet during the day it might be a semi-camouflaged growth, or a tree fort that provides an outlook and that offers refuge. It is inspired through many forms found in nature -the chrysalis/cocoon protecting the emerging butterfly/moth, perhaps an onion/garlic clove form hung out to dry. It is also seen as a lantern, a beacon at night that simply glows yet during the day it might be a semi camouflaged growth, or a tree fort that provides an outlook and that offers refuge.

The design caters for a seating capacity of 18 and the relative comfort of the waiting staff. Another requirement was provision of correct camera angles with associated light qualities for filming the advertisements, web cam and stills for having unobstructed views into the valley and entrance to the site and structural soundness. The restaurant is accessed through a 60m treetop walkway, which adds to the sense of adventure.

The construction technology enables the restaurant to be 'perched' on a redwood tree above an open meadow and meandering stream on the edge of the woods. It sits 10m wide and over 12m high, with the split-level floor sitting 10m off the ground. The conch like form is wrapped ‘organically’ around the trunk and structurally tied at top and bottom, with a circular plan that is split apart on the axis with the rear floor portion raised. The scale and form of the tree-house creates a memorable statement without dominating its setting. The verticality of the fins mimics the verticality of the redwoods and enable the building to naturally ‘blend’ into its setting, as though it were a natural growth.

The main structure is formed by timber trusses while the curved fins are glue-laminated pine. Plantation poplar has been used for the slats and redwood milled from the site used in the walkway balustrading. Openings are formed for windows by leaving spaces between the slats/fins that keeps the overall form yet affords a variety of openness for the views and light. To loosen the regularity of the elements, steel is wrapped arbitrarily around the pod. Tying this up at the top and base has a sense of greater connection with the tree. Apart from technologial soundness, the design also caters for inclement weather using acrylic sheeting fixed to the roof under the fins with vertical roll-down café-style blinds within. Lighting is an important architectural component enhancing and changing the mood, with discreet lighting within the walkway and up-lighting within the tree house. On the whole, the project redefines the entire dining experience.

Text Compilation: Hina Nitesh

Photographs: courtesy the architects

Architect's Website: http://www.pacificenvironments.co.nz/