Status | Research + Competition

Location | Aspen Parkland

Brief | We asked – how can we create a novel treehouse, derived strategically and produced in situ for any unique forest site, while supporting the needs of forest stewardship inhabitants? The st[r]and house allows stewards to utilize biomaterial sourced onsite for 3D printing creating a suitable livable space in any selected scene. This allows flexibility for the stewards to move unconstrained throughout the forest wherever their skills and expertise are needed most. A proximity analysis allows the habitat to fix itself to the tree community as printed strands create a tensile structure, resulting in a habitat intrinsically linked in balance and form to the forest network.

 The North American Aspen Parkland is the selected site for this concept for its unique ‘stand’ forest structure. Aspen forests grow tightly spaced, with clusters and openings, as each tree’s success is dependent on the established communal networks. These are a significant but a highly vulnerable species and therein, stewardship will continue to be a required practice to protect the parkland as our climate continues to change. We aim to preserve these landscapes, pivotal to our existence and future, as we find the harmony in both the needs of the stewards and of the forest hosts.