Commissioned by homeowners wishing to create a dual-purpose extension to their lives and better take advantage of one section of their forested property, this cabin floats above a natural pond and provides social space or a temporary getaway. Built by German tree house specialists BaumRaum, the cabin is undeniably modern, but makes use of a wooden structure to invoke cottage traditions. Set on stilts above the water, the retreat is connected to the land via a story-high bridge, supported on one end by an attachment to two trees. The structure is composed of two rooms, a living space and a bedroom, which can serve as an area for the homeowners’ children to play. Additionally, the building is elegant and striking enough to serve as a compelling place to entertain guests, overlooking the most untamed portions of the property around it. The upstairs bedroom could even serve as a temporary guest quarters or an indoor camping spot, isolated from the main house but close enough to keep tabs on.
The cabin occupies a scenic spot on the property, sitting on thin, angular metal stilts sunken into a supporting structure underneath the water. Accessed by an elevated bridge to a stairway on the shore, the dwelling has a commanding spot in the center of this small body of water.
The long metal and wood bridge connecting the cabin to the mainland is long and without any supports of its own in the middle, instead relying on the home’s stilts and the stability of two trees at the land’s edge to keep it stable.
Both the front and rear walls of the cabin are mostly filled with glass space, with a scenic view over the pond. On the side of the walkway, each of the two front doors extends that glass area down to the floor, giving a clearer outward view.
To add just a little head room at the edges of the building, window frames are kept straight and extend upward instead of curving with the structure’s metal shell. The cabin’s stilts, railings, and covering are all finished in the same metal hue, adding a bit of technological sleekness to the wood-dominated design.
Though it’s covered in a metal outer shell, the structure and decor of the escape is completely dominated by wood, used in a creative fashion to create different patterns and frames throughout. The cabin appears finished, thoroughly professional, and contemporary.
A set of steep stairs leads directly to the cabin’s second level, so that somebody sleeping upstairs could go there without having to interrupt activities in the room below. As such, the top level has its own small deck, overlooking the pond and woods.
The cabin is composed of two rooms, the first of which is a common living space on the lower level with built-in benches around its edges. You might notice the small light at the top of the rear wall; the entire cabin is connected to electrical supply and there are power outlets interspersed throughout. This first level makes a perfect social space for children or for hosting guests on the property.
The bedroom level features a hatch in its floor for entry from below via ladder, in addition to its exterior door. Inside, a built-in bed occupies one half of the floorspace, with storage integrated underneath and a curving skylight overhead for stargazing by night and additional light during the day.
BaumRaum
