Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Workaround: Raised Forest Residence Deftly Dodges Trees

Posted: 19 Aug 2013 10:00 AM PDT

forest home

This forest structure that takes site-specific design to new heights, bending its entire layout around trees and, in a few cases, even building them into the structure itself.

forest house site approach

For this remote home in Japan, K2 Design and their clients wanted to preserve the existing forest of pine and cherry trees, consequently creating a series of small interconnected volumes that break up the home into a series of cozy spaces.

forest house raised architecture

Much of the structure is also lifted off the ground, making the experience of using the connective rooms and pathways feel like more like passing through the forest canopy than simply walking in the woods.

forest home building site

forest home multi level

There were functional benefits to raising the building as well – a reduction of snow buildup around its edges during the winter, and protection against ground moisture in the summer.