Green thinking puts houses on a limb

For most, tree house living is pure fantasy. But waking up in the canopy it could be far more real than you think, as a focus on ecologically sustainable architecture is challenging designers to think green in more ways than one.

The Cool Hunter, a Sydney-based culture and design website with a global audience of more than 700,000, has a plan to transform Hyde Park into a village of cubby-sized tree houses, all made out of recycled and sustainable materials.

“We came up with this idea for people to build really cool tree houses and we thought, god, wouldn’t that be amazing to do that in Hyde Park. The thing is with tree houses is that every architect would love to build one, but they’re just kind of fantasy projects,” said The Cool Hunter director, Laura Demasi.

The world’s leading architects and designers are being called to submit designs and showcase the latest in eco-design principles in construction.

Launched in Sydney in early 2010 before going to London and New York, Treelife is The Cool Hunter’s first live exhibition.

“It’s just a great way to showcase alternative models for living and it also takes you back to a simpler time of life, like childhood, that’s a really big part of it too,” said Demasi.

But while it is as practical as it is novel, Demasi says the sensation of escape is definitely part of the attraction.

“It’s just this place high above the street level, the stressful street level of life, and we could all do with a bit of that. All you can see is the tops of trees and no one can bother you, and it’s nice.

“My son does have a tree house but it’s not as exciting,” she said.