Forest Edge — California | Fall 2023
The Tree House Hostel explores architecture as an extension of the forest canopy. Elevated twelve feet above the ground, the structure preserves the ecology below—allowing soil, roots, and vegetation to remain undisturbed.
The design applies a “loose-fit” spatial strategy, scattering rooms like branches connected by bridges and open decks. Each pod accommodates a distinct program—sleeping, cooking, bathing, or gathering—while the spaces in between invite movement, reflection, and chance encounter.
Built from timber and light framing, the hostel blends with the vertical rhythm of the trees. A carved stone threshold marks the transition from ground to canopy, leading visitors upward into shared, elevated environments where privacy and community coexist.
The Tree House Hostel embodies a lightweight, environmentally responsive approach to collective living—one that values impermanence, curiosity, and coexistence within the natural landscape.
“Architecture breathes when it learns to share space with nature.”
Site Integration
Raised above the terrain, the hostel minimizes ground disturbance and merges with the forest canopy.
Circulation and Pods
Bridges connect dispersed program pods, framing views and creating a continuous path through the trees.
Interior Atmosphere
Warm timber finishes and filtered daylight create a sense of intimacy within open, airy volumes.
Plans and Sections
The plan and section drawings reveal the hostel’s fragmented organization, alternating between built volumes and open voids suspended within the forest canopy.
Final Model
The model captures the hostel’s floating geometry and its quiet integration with the forest canopy. Elevated walkways, suspended pods, and a stone threshold reveal a continuous dialogue between structure, movement, and nature.