Hasta La Ideas

Just because your bum might be too big for the slide these days doesn’t mean you can’t relish in the days of yesteryear! That’s the idea behind the cleverly named Playgrown furniture collection. Each unit in the set harkens back to a familiar fragment from days spent on the playground so you never have to grow up.

The collection consists of five distinct and playful pieces that kids and adults alike can appreciate. The iconic swing has been reinterpreted as a minimalist chair. A coffee table transforms into a game of hopscotch. Another seating solution is reminiscent of a slide, fit with ladder rungs and all. A planter reminds one of a seesaw. Lastly, monkey bars are transformed into a convenient entryway coatrack. Together, they put the FUN in functionality!

Designer: Taylor Scott Ross

Paris-based Atelier Lavit built this treehouse around the trunk of a century-old oak in Raray, France, basing its design of criss-crossing timbers on a bird’s nest.

The Origin treehouse forms part of the Cabanes des Grands Chênes, a collection of elevated guest cabins set in the grounds of the Château de Raray hotel.

Atelier Lavit, which is led by architect and designer Marco Lavit, was approached by the hotelier to create a brand new guest suite.

The client specified the room should be comfortable, functional and – like the other cabins on the estate – reference the appearance of a bird’s nest.

The treehouse has an octagonal floor plan organised around the trunk of an hundred-year-old oak tree, which the architects wanted to be the “protagonist of the space”.

Visitors gain access to the suite via a timber walkway that sits 10 metres above ground – it also connects to an adjacent treehouse containing a heated spa and lounge.

To form the exterior of the 23-square-metre treehouse, Lavit and his team decided to use thin slats of Douglas pine wood that interlock at the corners, echoing the entwined branches of a bird’s nest.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the ability of birds to build their impregnable shelters. I wanted to rationalise the assembly logic of the branches and transpose this aesthetic with a new architectural approach,” Marco Lavit told Dezeen.

Inside, the treehouse has been lined with light-toned poplar wood to make the space appear bright and spacious. Large windows maintain views of the surrounding greenery.

“One of the main challenges of the project was to disguise the hotel suite in the centenarian oak forest to give a feeling of protection to the inhabitants, but at the same time keeping the feeling of floating on the trees’ canopy,” explained Lavit.

A wooden ladder placed next to the suite’s central tree trunk invites guests to climb up to the roof terrace.

Canadian firm Studio North also recently completed a treetop dwelling for guests – a treehouse in a British Columbia valley that’s meant to be shared by campers and creatures. Its shingled facade features 12 circular openings that accommodate different species of local birds.

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Once upon a time, Ahab sought revenge upon Moby Dick, the albino sperm whale, while sailing upon the glorious Pequod – to hear of that tale would make any man rush to the sea right? Luckily for those who feel that same longing to hit those crashing waves in their own boat, or simply…just wish to have their own boat in general, can now fulfill that dream. Rapid Whale has really alleviated the stresses and burdens of owning a boat, not even beginning to mention the fees and maintenance attached too. If anything they’ve developed a fun, full-sized mini boat, boasting a length of six foot and fully electrical – made to order and assembly.

Comprised of the Mini Boat Kit are laser-cut marine-grade plywood, 3D printer components, a steering wheel, sheeting-shift bearings, and various gaskets – unfortunately, the boat isn’t complete, having to source and purchase the motor, engine, and batteries by the owner. That’s not all too bad considering you now have a boat all to yourself. Weighing in at a staggering sixty-seven pounds and hitting a fairly breezy four miles per hour, the Rapid Whale Mini Boat is sure to itch every nautical tickle you may have.

Designer: Rapid Whale

One of the latest additions to Snow Peak’s portable Field Barista Kit, this high quality coffee grinder takes its queues from professional grade equipment. Made in Japan from stainless steel and iron, the product’s all-important adjustable burr is……

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A dilapidated treehouse in Aspen has been rebuilt using vertical wooden slats and translucent panels by local firm Charles Cunniffe Architects, with plenty of help from the community.

After years of weathering and disrepair, the two-storey timber viewing platform was revamped by Charles Cunniffe Architects (CCA), after the studio offered to redesign it as part of a charity auction for the Buddy Program.

A local resident with the highest bid donated the project to the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) – a non-profit environmental science education organisation – which helped with the overhaul.

CCA then convinced local businesses Hansen Construction, LGM, Sopris Engineering and Valley Lumber to donate time and materials, and spent a year working pro-bono on the design before it received approval from the City of Aspen.

“This was a true community-based project that each firm involved was happy to support,” said CCA.

The firm kept the original four-column frame, and created half-walls using hundreds of vertical wooden slats of marine-grade plywood.

Sections of transparent polycarbonate panels form the sides of a staircase connected the levels, which offer views across the wooded site.

“Utilising the existing four pillars, the goal of the design was to create different stations to enjoy the various aspects of the ecology,” said the firm.

At ground level is a large deck for observing and resting. The space is shaded by the timber half-walls, which are attached from the ceiling’s perimeter. Protected by these panels and the deck above, the lower storey is designed as a place of refuge during inclement weather.

The upper level forms an observation platform for watching birds, deer, foxes and bears, as well as ACE’s resident golden eagle, great horned owl and red-tailed hawk. The space is wrapped in timber slats that are cut to have different jagged outlines.

“Vertical elements in the Cottonwood bark were the colour and orientation inspiration,” the firm said.

The use of local materials was important, as they help the structure to blend into its environment and ensure an eco-friendly approach that aligns with ACES’ preservation efforts.

The treehouse is located on the organisation’s 25-acre (10-hectare) nature preserve in Aspen — a ski resort town in Colorado known as a destination for outdoor activities. The site includes various woodland, meadow, pond and marsh habitats, and the unit itself is along a half-mile nature trail next to the Roaring Fork River.

Elsewhere in the world, pavilions designed for nature watching include an enclosure built around a pine tree in Jerusalem and a timber unit for a home in Portugal.

Photography is by Ross Kribbs.

Project credits:

Project team: Marina Skiles, Colleen Loughlin, Charles Cunniffe, Principal
Contractor: Hansen Construction
Consultants: LGM, Sopris Engineering and Valley Lumber

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