Living Amongst the Trees - Tree House by Malcolm Taylor and Associates

Born from a desire to live amongst the trees, Tree House is a play on opening and closing. Through filtered layers and the expression of timber as the primary element, Malcolm Taylor and Associates has created an idyllic retreat amongst a bush context.

Located in Laingholm in amongst and atop a bush-clad ridge, the site and its outlook are an invitation in themselves. Tasked with creating a home that sat amongst its context, Malcolm Taylor and Associates proposed a tree house that is true to its name, creating an opportunity for its clients to live amongst the canopies. Through a series of mechanisms to allow the structure to open and close and engage with its context, a series of filtered elements and carved openings allow for timber to be expressed in a number of ways.

Designed as a home to house the many collected items and objects from a well-travelled life, the form is seen as a jewellery box of sorts. Protected from the elements and unassuming on the exterior, the home is reclusive and warm on the inside. The location and sizing of openings throughout are deliberate and create a series of portholes and vistas to the beyond. The use of recycled and new clear-finished timber within the interior is reminiscent of the internal cabin feel of a ship. The site’s proximity to watered views then emphasise this reference.

Designed as a home to house the many collected items and objects from a well-travelled life, the form is seen as a jewellery box of sorts.

Stacked across three levels, Tree House is a celebration of timber, varying in scale, opening and treatment. Together with the use of white cement cladding, the black cedar expresses an articulation of framed views beyond. The neighbouring properties are screened as a result of limited east and west openings, and the main living space flowing from north to south on one level. The outdoor deck is home to an outdoor fireplace, encouraging living and gatherings to flow outdoors.

Throughout, functional elements are designed into the fabric of the spaces, where joinery is concealed, bookcases become walls and the stairs are themselves are a functional and sculptural offering. These elements then become the framework around which functionality plays out, and a stage within which the furniture and decorative objects are showcased.

Together with the use of white cement cladding, the black cedar expresses an articulation of framed views beyond.

Malcolm Taylor and Associates has created a unique timber house that sits enviably within its context, protected from the elements and operable to accommodate daily functionality and changing climatic conditions. Tree House celebrates the form of the canopy and its comprising elements, while carving a unique and idyllic retreat for its owners to observe its context and surroundings.

Tree House celebrates the form of the canopy and its comprising elements, while carving a unique and idyllic retreat for its owners to observe its context and surroundings.