The buildings perched on trees they are, perhaps, one of the most intense experiences of life integrated in Nature; among other reasons, because its footprint on the ground is minimal. They are also a way to ensure greater privacy and security against overly curious animals. With its A-shape, the proposed PAN Treetop of the norwegian architect Espen Surnevik presents a contemporary stylization of the archetype of the traditional Nordic cabin with a gabled roof, only at the height of the treetops.
The cabin is accessed through a separate spiral staircase and connected to it by a walkway.
The author has designed for the entrepreneurial couple Kristian Rostad and Christine Mowinckel two prefabricated cabins for tourist accommodation in a wooded area of Finnskogen, in the district of Hedmark (Norway), near the border with Sweden and a couple of hours from Oslo by car . The buildings rise 8 meters on a light steel structure. The zinc roof emulates the slate tiles typical of mountain buildings.
The steep slope of the roof creates a double-height space inside. The bedroom is located in the mezzanine, with capacity for up to six beds.
Each prefabricated cabin has an area of 40 square meters and includes a mezzanine with space for up to six beds – which can be released as they fold over the walls –, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room with a fireplace. They are accessed through a spiral staircase separated from the structure that supports the construction and connected to it by a walkway.
The cabin is equipped with a bathroom and a full kitchen.
The small space provides the secluded and intimate atmosphere of a tent, but with all the comforts of a hotel room. The design of the PAN Treetop prefabricated cabins is inspired by the Finnish forest culture and the powerful atmosphere of the Finnskogen region, while also evoking forest watchtowers.
Glazed windows provide direct contact with the outside nature.
«For me, this cabin represents a genuine sense of how Northerners relate to the long distances between human settlements in rural Scandinavia, the loneliness, the long dark winters and the cold weather,» Surnevik says of his proposal.