Favorites

Elsie’s grandmother crafted the wool wall art that hangs at the end of the space, where Elsie stashes her fabrics and Birdie Lou, the couple’s daughter, plays with toys.

A floor plan shows the bathroom—complete with shower, sink, and flushing toilet—tucked into a corner near the entry.

A cross section shows the solution for a raised bed and built-in seating. Both tree houses are identical in layout and design.

Woodnest structural rendering

Woodnest structural rendering

A few yards away from the tree houses, a wooden staircase connects with a path that leads through the wooded hillside to a parking area down below. Steeper sections of the mountainside trail are navigable by using steel staircases and hand-placed stone steps.

The architects and engineers enlisted the help of a tree doctor to identify a design that wouldn’t compromise the health of each tree. As a solution, the steel ring surrounding the trunks includes enough space for each tree to naturally grow in diameter for at least 25 years.

Helen & Hard built a pair of pine cone–shaped cabins that wrap around tree trunks in the forests of Odda, Norway.

A hallway provides access to the bathroom (along the left-hand side), as well as the main entrance straight ahead.

A wood-clad ceiling emphasizes each structure’s radial frame, while the central steel collars are concealed by vertical strips of wood.

On the opposite side of the tree house, a small kitchenette comes complete with a sink, an induction hot plate, and a small fridge underneath. Other additions include fresh flowers from local florist Stilk & Stæsj, as well as soap from the Norwegian brand Fitjar Islands.

A built-in couch provides an additional perch to enjoy the surroundings.

The interior also features numerous local touches, including a pair of oak Krysset chairs in natural leather by the Norwegian furniture company Eikund.

Inside, wraparound windows provide panoramic views of the fjord and mountains.

A timber bridge provides access to each tree house from the ground below.

Sally Aano next to one of the two recently completed tree houses.

Offering far-reaching views of Norway’s Hardangerfjord, each tree house employs clever solutions to provide a private bathroom and kitchenette inside. The structures are engineered to be supported by a central steel collar that wraps around the tree trunk.

Designed by Helen & Hard Architects, Woodnest is a pair of rentable dwellings suspended from living trees in Odda, Norway.