10 of the world’s most spectacular tree houses

Innovative treehouse designs are offering unique escapes for those seeking connection with nature. From a customizable canvas structure in Sweden to a cozy, log-built retreat in the United States, architects and designers are reimagining treetop living.

Tree Tent by Tree Tents International – Dalarna, Sweden (2016)

The giant red bauble suspended from pines at Näsets Marcusgård, a former farm, is a “tree tent” made of an aluminium and plywood frame, wrapped up in a waterproof canvas. Tree Tents International’s founder and design director Jason Thawley says the customizable tree house aims “to connect people to the outdoors through design” and “works with nature rather than building against or around it.” Willem Terstegen, the co-owner of Näsets Marcusgård, tells the BBC: “Being among the trees offers a small shift that feels immense. The world looks softer, time slows down, and even silence feels alive.”

Woodnest by Helen & Hard – Odda, Norway (2020-2023)

For some designers, the tree house is about romance. Kjartan Arno wanted to propose to his girlfriend Sally, and built a tree house to do so. The simple 10m-high structure, accessed by a climb through its branches, became a vessel of happy memories, leading the couple to team up with architects Helen & Hard to create a more ambitious retreat: Woodnest. Hugging the narrow trunk of a pine tree so that it appears to stand on one leg – and accessible by a bridge – Woodnest sleeps four, and features a bath with views of the Hardanger fjord.

Chris and Pam Daniele

The Copper Fox by Heidi Richards and Nicholas Cote – Maine, USA (2023)

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to build my own tree house,” Heidi Richards tells the BBC. “We had a big tree in our backyard – that I was constantly in – always trying to climb higher and higher.” She used to drag “found objects and leftover building material” up into its branches.

The Copper Fox, designed and constructed with her husband Nicholas using mostly locally sourced logs and salvage, was intended to feel “like a sculpture on a large scale”, Richards explains. Its snout is the main sleeping area, while the pointed ears form a cosy mezzanine accessed by a ladder. “I think being in a tree house makes you feel like a kid on an adventure,” she says. “When you are experiencing treetop living, anything feels possible.”

Modern Tree Houses is published by TASCHEN.

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