Children love tree houses – big children love Tree Tents

This is another in our series of Grand Designs features, this one is about Tree Tents with a low environmental impact construction

I was really pleased to see Jason Thawley and his Tree Tent at Grand Designs Live at the Excel Exhibition Centre in London. His innovative Tree Tent ‘balls’ featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces on Channel 4 earlier this year and it was great to get to see them in the flesh.

In case you have not seen the Tree Tent yet, it is a 3 meter spherical frame created from lightweight aluminium and steam-bent green ash. This forms the ball shape which is then covered with a khaki canvas cover to help it blend into the landscape. The structure is then hoisted into the trees and secured with a system of ropes and pulleys. This allows the Tree Tent to move slightly in its environment while being securely fixed.

Luxury tent in the tree canopy

In case you are worried that the tree tent doesn’t sound like a luxury choice, it is fully kitted out with seating and hammock style bed, and can even take a log burner, so there is no need to rough-it while you are at one with nature. So you can have that childhood joy of living in a treehouse or a ‘den’ but have a cosy and comfortable stay.

The team that worked on the design are an interesting mix of engineers, outdoor enthusiasts and aeronautical experts, the design borrows ideas from zeppelins and balloons as well as more modern techniques.

Jason Thawley explained that the aim was to create a structure that would be lightweight and transportable but also sustainable, using natural and recycled materials and having a non-permanent impact on the environment it is placed into. This low environmental impact strategy have earned the product lots of interest already, and we believe the excellent quality of the construction will make it sustainable in terms of sales as well as the environment.

It’s a yes from DIY Doctor

We think they have nailed the concept; it has the right blend of quirky shape and design with serious engineering and materials to inspire confidence in the structure. If you want to try the tent for yourself there is now a Tree Tent you can stay in at The Secret Campsite in the South Downs National Park.

To read more about the Tree Tent and the team that developed it you can visit their website here.

We also wrote about clay plaster at Grand Designs Live.