Woodnest Treehouses in Norway by Architects Helen&Hard

woodnest treehouses

Completed this year, Woodnest in Norway is a family run business offering two stunning treehouses in which you can get away from the concrete jungle. The timber structures, by architects Helen&Hard, are nicely designed, wood-clad treehouses nestled in the woods of Odda, Norway that look out over the magnificent Hardanger fjord.

Woodnest Treehouses

woodnest norway

The Aano family, Kjartan & Sally and their daughter Lily, have always had an affinity for treehouses as a place to connect with nature and enjoy one another’s company. So they decided to bring that special pleasure to others with Woodnest and their rentable treehouses.

woodnest treehouses

woodnest treehouse in norway

The two treehouses on the property each accommodate 4 people with one double bed and two single beds. Each beautiful timber treehouse has electricity, a small kitchenette, high speed wifi, a flushing toilet and shower, and is equipped with floor heating to keep you cosy during winter nights.

woodnest treehouse ext5

woodnest treehouse interior

woodnest beds

woodnest kitchen sink

woodnest bath

Each treehouse is 15m2 (approx. 150 sqft) and has been engineered so that the tree (with little support from foreign structures) supports the full weight of the treehouse. The tree lives inside the structure in the middle of the treehouse, representing respect and appreciation for nature and the outdoors.

sketch of treehouse
treehouse sketch by Helen&Hard

The interior is fashioned using the finest black alder wood and the exterior blends into the natural surroundings, resembling the Norwegian “kongla” (pine cone).

wood clad interior

wood clad interior

woodnest bedroom

Inside you will find handcrafted chairs, designed and produced in Norway by Eikund. They’ve chosen the highest quality fabrics and incorporated small touches of luxury to each treehouse.

woodnest view from treehouse

pouring tea

The following text is courtesy of the architect:
The steep forested hillsides around the Hardanger fjord above Odda, is the location of two Woodnest treehouses. The architecture is a specific response to the topography and conditions of the site itself. Inextricably crafted from nature, each treehouse is suspended 5-6m above the forest floor and fastened with a steel collar to the individual trunk of a living pine tree.

woodnest treehouse ext

helen&Hard treehouse

treehouse to rent

Stemming from the client’s wish to create a unique spatial experience that connects to both the ordinary and extraordinary sensation of climbing and exploring trees, our aim was to create a space that truly embodies what it means to dwell in nature.

woodnest treehouse ext7

The journey to the site begins with the 20 minute walk from the town of Odda, on the edge of the fjord and up through the forest via a steep winding path. Each treehouse is accessed via a small timber bridge, leading the visitor off the ground, into the structure and up in to the tree.

woodnest treehouse bridge

At just 15m2, carefully organised inside around the central tree trunk itself are four sleeping places, a bathroom, a kitchen area and a living space. From here one can lookout and experience the vast view out through the trees, down to the fjord below and across towards the mountains beyond.

odda Norway

view of fjord

At the very core of the project is the appreciation of timber as a building material. Inspired by the Norwegian cultural traditions of vernacular timber architecture, together with a desire to experiment with the material potential of wood, the architecture is structurally supported by the tree trunk itself, and formed from a series of radial glu-laminated timber ribs.

underside of woodnest treehouse

The untreated natural timber shingles encase the volume creating a protective skin around the building, which will weather over time to merge and blend with the natural patina of the surrounding forest.

woodnest treehouse ext8

Woodnest is a project that quietly sits in an extraordinary situation. The architecture aims to allow people to pause and appreciate the smaller details of the natural environments we inhabit; the grain of timber, the daily rhythm of the forest and the sensation of dwelling in nature.

woodnest plans

woodnest if its hip its here

The treehouses start at approximately $320 USD a night (price subject to change).

Book them here.

Photographs by Germund Øystese and Sindre Ellingsen, courtesy of both Woodnest and Helen & Hard.

Location: Odda, Norway
Client: Sally & Kjartan Aano, Woodnest
Status: Completed (2020)
Typology: Cabin
Area: 15m2

Design team: Helen&Hard
Siv Helene Stangeland, Reinhard Kropf, Dag Strass, Simon Baumann, Odin Olesen
Timber Construction: Røynstrand
Structural Engineer: Oddvin Myklebust, Nordplan