We all dreamed about it, thought of how to make it, designed it and longed for it. The luckiest ones owned one. Space within a tree is maybe one of the first and most shared archetypes of architecture. It is the shelter of childhood. It is the safe place. It is the stronghold where one feels independent, a space to keep the adult world at a distance. It is an inaccessible place suspended between sky and trees. It is the scenery and projection of extremely exciting adventures. Once children become adults, the tree house often turns into a distant memory or an unfulfilled dream. Among all adults, architects have an extraordinary privilege. They can build their own childhood desires. This tree tent is indeed this desire, an exploration to relive that joy.
Name
Tree Tent
Year
2019
Typology
Multi-use
Location
Pune
We all dreamed about it, thought of how to make it, designed it and longed for it. The luckiest ones owned one. Space within a tree is maybe one of the first and most shared archetypes of architecture. It is the shelter of childhood. It is the safe place. It is the stronghold where one feels independent, a space to keep the adult world at a distance. It is an inaccessible place suspended between sky and trees. It is the scenery and projection of extremely exciting adventures. Once children become adults, the tree house often turns into a distant memory or an unfulfilled dream. Among all adults, architects have an extraordinary privilege. They can build their own childhood desires. This tree tent is indeed this desire, an exploration to relive that joy.
A space around nature! The inception of this intervention happened through an inquiry. The question was simple, ‘How to have a space within the trees?’ A space stable enough to let a family have a spectating seat within the landscape, the challenge though was to do it without harming the trees. The site, four trees! The intention of the exploration was to respect nature first and make the design strategically, ensuring no part of the landscape is disturbed.
The initial process started with a symmetrical geometric logic for the design. Pinning the location of the trees, geometric algorithms were used to generate a form. A form which could fit into a humane proportion. An approach seldom used, here the team tries to create a space with just four lines, the lines which connect the trees, with constructing such geometric patterns logic a space appears and eventually is explored in a 3D canvas.
Given that this tent would be suspended from trees, a critical examination of the framework's design was imperative. The framework, being the very essence of the structure, needed to be exceptionally lightweight while ensuring the safety of its occupants. The design of the structural layers was meticulously strategized to shed excess weight while concurrently upholding the structure's integrity, making it a secure haven for those who would inhabit this space.
After detailing the structure from material to the final nuts and bolts, the working drawings were made in collaboration with Mr. Ganesh Solanki, the fabricator. The working drawings were taken to the workshop. Here all the details modelled were discussed and were materialized. Prototyping then followed. After many discussions with our fabricator, experiments with models, analysis, simulations the installation of the tree tent began. The whole design was planned as a prefabricated one with all its components being assembled on site with just bolts. Despite thorough planning throughout all phases, the installation of the base frame, designed to be suspended using bottles, posed a significant challenge. Situated within a beautifully landscaped garden, the site presented limitations, preventing the use of machinery for hoisting these components. Subsequently, the roof and safety net were installed to complete the structure.
With a lightweight yet robust framework, we've striven to ensure safety without compromising the enchantment of the experience. It rests quietly amidst the green trees.
By day, it offers a front-row seat to nature's beauty, and as sun descends, the dark night emerges and the nocturnal landscape takes over, the tree tent lights up like a firefly.
Since 2019
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