Treehouses at Kew

Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew in partnership with the Museum of Architecture opened a competition for designers and architects to create ‘Treehouses’ that will make up the main exhibit of Kew Gardens 2023 season. The competition is open to UK-based and international architectural practices, the winning designs will be built in and around Kew’s living collection and is expected to be inventive, accessible, and innovative. Judges are looking for the structures to be architecturally interesting/ playful, demonstrate boldness, focus on sustainability (through practice, materials and design) as well as be engaging and accessible to everyone. Once again we teamed up with Akama Bambu to develop our Treehouse ‘Breathe” for the Nature’s Architecture & Biomimicry category.

‘Breathe’ is a symbolic representation of respiratory physiology; the rib cage, heart and aorta. The tree itself, as the trachea and bronchial tubes, the key element that brings oxygen to the structure, as it does for the planet. Creating parallels between plant, planet, animal and human respiratory systems and how they are crucially interlinked. This highlights the importance of symbiotic systems in nature as the key to a balanced world. The design employs nature’s architecture through parametric patterns, biomimetic forms, sacred geometry, indigenous construction techniques and natural recyclable materials. The treehouse creates a fully accessible experiential journey through sensory zones within the structure. Entering through ‘touch’ tunnels, modeled on epiphytic plants or aorta, the walls are textured, creating the rhythm of heartbeat. Leading into the Tree Temple dedicated to worship of the tree itself, and indigenous cultures worship of nature. Onwards into Earth’s Womb, a cocooned space, insulated with hay and moss mounds, to listen to the underlying sounds of nature and hidden scents, taking visitors deep into the earth. Finally we arrive at Nature’s Wisdom, where we learn about the healing properties of plants, indigenous construction, biomimicry, and natural science all inspired by Kews pioneering scientific research.