Treehouse in Canada: The 4treehouse

Designed by architect Luskaz Kos, the 4treehouse treehouse floats like a Japanese lantern on stilts, within the fir trees on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Leaving the existing trees set the parameters of the project, the 4treehouse was constructed around the base of four existing trees, rather than stretching between them.

The project was an exercise in minimizing impact on the trees that supports it and preserve the pristine nature of the place. Kos collaborated with nature by wrapping first a three storey structure around four trees, allowing the site to determine what the footprint of the final treehouse should be.

Through a close collaboration with arborists and builders, the architect developed a scheme that allowed him to use a traditional Muskoka balloon-frame structure and hang it from the four trees.

The project’s intimate relationship with the natural environment demanded great ecological sensitivity in order to preserve the forest’s health and growth. The traditional Muskoka balloon frame was integrated with innovative engineering to deal with this parameter.

Consequently, only one high strength steel cable of the two-ton lattice-frame 410 square foot treehouse, was attached to each tree, providing minimal impact on the growing trunks, allowing them to live the full extent of their lives. The result is a treehouse offering a delicate balance between the walls and the trees weightlessly in midair.

Pictures by Architizer