The treehouse, luxury version for nostalgic adults

It is said that throughout our lives, the child in us accompanies us and influences our choices. It is said to make us wriggle, run, jump, even though age and knees no longer help. The tree house is a symbol of childhood, of adventure, and not a few people build tree houses for adults to use. I would like to present such a tree house, but not just any old one, but one designed and built by specialists with a thorough knowledge of architecture and woodworking.

The house, a two-storey flat, is in West Dorset, England, in the woods. The place is a campsite called Crafty Camping because, as well as some of the finest accommodation, it's where England's leading woodworkers give woodworking courses. Accommodation on the campsite is not conditional on attending the courses. You can come here for a weekend or even for a holiday to stay in yurts, round tents, in the sheepfold or treehouse.

The Woodman's Treehouse was built in 2016 by this community of craftsmen led by Guy Mallison, together with the architectural studioBEaM studio. It is not a simple improvisation around a tree but a very serious and complex work, with an architectural project that has references to valuable works in the field, even trying to be a tribute to them. But let's see what Woodman's Treehouse is all about and why it is considered luxurious.

It was built around and under the canopy of a 200-year-old oak tree. The appearance on the outside is linear, appearing to be a rectangular dwelling divided into several areas. The division is suggested by the materials with which the exterior walls were made or clad: shingles, firewood and planks. Each of these materials delimits an area, giving the impression of a true residence.

Access is via a wooden and rope deck that leads straight to the front door of the house. The door has a porthole window and a "submarine type" locking system.

After passing through a small hallway you reach the house itself which, surprisingly, is round and built around a central pillar. In the centre is a rotating fireplace that can be directed to any area of the room. In the same space, but secluded in friezes that provide some privacy, are the bedroom and bathroom.

In the bedroom the solid wood bed covers a large part of the surface, with bedside tables and nightstands on the sides and niches in the wall for books, decorative objects or other necessities. From the bedroom you can exit onto one of the outside terraces where there is a hammock and shower.

The bathroom is very bright thanks to a large glazed area with a copper bathtub in front of it. Yet there's privacy because, right next to the window, is the huge trunk of the oak tree that makes its way through the openwork floor of the terrace.

In the rest of the space there is the kitchen, equipped with all the necessary and the living room. The kitchen is not in a niche, like the bedroom and bathroom, but is a common element with the living room. In a totally separate room, with access from the entrance hallway, is the toilet whose walls are made of firewood. Inside there is also a sink and, during the day, the space has plenty of light from a huge window.

All the windows are built in such a way as to give the impression that the walls are very thick, like those of a castle. In fact, the walls only look thick, inside they are hollow. It couldn't be any other way because a treehouse has to be light, not damage the tree and be safe. This idea of thick walls, however, helps to maintain the illusion of childhood, of the treehouse built for pretty girls and boys.

Outside there are other terraces besides the one leading from the bedroom. On one of them is a simple peasant-style table with logs for chairs.

A spiral staircase leads from the terrace opposite the bathroom window to the next level, where a sauna is also built, completely clad in wood.

Outside, in front of the terrace, there's another hot tub where you can cool off after your time in the sauna or relax and feel like you own the forest.

And to complete the illusion of childhood, you can go down from one of the terraces directly into the forest on a slide.

This is not the first time I've shown you treehouses. I'm sure you remember the little house in the middle of the lavender field or the one in the top of the old linden tree. But this one surprised me by the successful combination of tree house and luxury hotel suite, between the castle look given by the thick walls and the shack look suggested by the shingle covering the outer walls. It is clearly a project of specialists executed with great craftsmanship.

Hey, Santa ... how about a treehouse ... and don't say you didn't have time!