Forest Sphere
Client
A young creative couple wants to escape the hustle and bustle of the city
They want to live in the wooded area of ‘de great heath’, just south of their hometown. It is a beautiful place that stimulates the senses and creativity with its colors, smells, sounds and richness. They wan’t the house to be respectful to nature, breath sustainability and they want to minimize the footprint.
A small tree house, equipped with basic amenities, is all they wish for. It gives them their place in nature, where they feel at home and where they find inspiration for their creative work. They can do most of their work remotely.
Treehouse
The tree house is shaped like a sphere and has the most efficiënt facade-to-volume ratio possible. The sphere is suspended from the trees with steel tension wires, giving the impression that it is floating between the trees and minimizing the impact on the forest floor.
By chroming the outer shell, the sphere reflects the environment and thus merges with it.
The ‘belly’ of the sphere, under the main floor, is filled with sophisticated and innovative techniques such as a compost toilet, a rainwater buffer and a water purification system.
No drains are needed, just occasional maintenance through a hatch in the floor.
Smart natural ventilation is used for cooling. Passive solar energy combined with a wood stove provides heating for the tree house. A small windmill in a clearing next to the trees provides electricity.
On the forest floor, a few round planters to grow crops and pens to hold chickens and goats for a continuous flow of food, are placed.
