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| Photographer: Lucg G |
Budapest, May 13, 2009 – The Yellow Treehouse restaurant was the brainchild of an Auckland advertising agency. The idea was to show that just about anything – including building a restaurant up a tree – could be done, using the services advertised in the Yellow Pages. But since its construction, the treehouse has taken on a life of its own, capturing imaginations around the world.
The Yellow Treehouse restaurant was built on a north-facing site near Warkworth, New Zealand. But this was no ordinary site – it was 10 meters up a 40-meter redwood tree. Architect Peter Eising says his team took many unusual considerations into account when selecting the tree and figuring the logistics.
“Because this was essentially an elaborate ad, the site needed to accommodate a tower for filming the building process. To promote light, a great outlook and easy access, we selected a north-facing tree on the edge of a stand of trees. Building up a tree also presented difficult engineering concerns for which there was no real precedent,” says Eising.
“The project is inextricably linked to its surroundings, so sustainability was at the front of mind. We employed many environmentally friendly practices, including short cuts of glue-laminated pine for the building’s geometric exterior fins, which minimized waste, and we even employed an arborist to look after the welfare of the tree,” he says.
About Pacific Environments
Pacific Environments is a recognized pioneer in the field of sustainable design and has nearly 50 years’ experience in residential and commercial architecture. They draw inspiration from New Zealand landscapes, meaning their projects faithfully reflect the environments they are built in.
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