The aim of this project is to build an additional space for a house in the countryside of Royan. Based on the employer’s demand, the additional space includes a semi-open terrace and a lounge, and it will bring new visual experiences and more involvement with nature.
Regarding the site’s potentials (the topography, forest cover and existence of old trees), it was decided that the additional space would be built in the compound, separate from the main building structure.
The designing strategy chosen towards the site (existing trees, topography and landscape) is companionship behavior, and the negative space between the trees has been used as positive space. The surfaces are designed in stair forms in accordance with the site’s topography. With regard to land slope and the position of trees, it was decided to build the new space in a way that it would be aligned with the trees, so as to achieve the best view and experience of the site. Having taken the area’s architectural typology into consideration, the additional space includes both semi-open and semi-closed spaces: using the surfaces’ moving circulation (stair movement), the open space is first linked to the semi-open space, and then the closed space.
Field experts have been consulted for evaluation and pathology of the existing trees (age, growth and installing the structure to the studied trees). The horizontal beams have been installed to the trees using cable reels, and a major part of the structure weight has been to pillars embedded in the site. Woods have been used as the tree house’s outer skin, so that aside from being in coordination with the site, it would represent the texture color in the region, vernacular materials, and also the typology of the houses in the countryside.
