tree HOUSE design
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE DESIGN OF A TREE HOUSE,
drone photogrammetry technology is used
to generate a virtual 3d model of the tree.
Point Cloud View of the Tree
Data Collection
During one of the first survey, a remote controlled quadcopter was operated around the tree collecting enough data/pictures from different positions so that could be processed by an advanced photogrammetry software back in the office and generate a point cloud.
A point cloud is a collection of data points defined by a given coordinates system.
Point Cloud View of the Tree
From Point Cloud to 3D Surface.
There are many techniques to convert a point cloud into a 3D surface. Some of them build a network of triangles over the existing vertices of the point cloud, while other approaches convert the point cloud into a volumetric distance field and reconstruct the implicit surface so defined through a marching cubes algorithm. The key is to find the proper combination that works fine with the complex tree shape reducing the approximation error.
Tree & Leaves Texture Reconstruction
Tree Texture Reconstruction
Plans & Sections
Once the mesh of the tree is generated became easy to cut the model to produce plans and section, playing with the diffent levels to find the best configuration of space.
Entry Floor & Toilet Plan - Distribution & Lighting
Main Floor Plan - Distribution & Lighting
Roof
45m from the ground level.
Why a 3d model of the tree become such a useful tool?
The space that this house occupies is located at the canopy level of a single big tree, at around 40m from the ground. After the first ascension, made by climbing the trunk with a pair of crampons attached at the feet and holding a rope around the trunk, a zip line cable is installed to allow all the future accesses. At canopy level safety ropes are placed to connect the branches that in this section have an average diameter of 50 cm or more and only few handholds are small enough for free climbing. Many parasitic plants grow naturally around the branches and most of the time are of a species covered with sharp thorns that will stack in the skin and clothes making every movements even more tricky. Swarms of mosquito and flies, ants and many other more or less friendly insects patrol the tree happy to attack and cover the new visitor. The evaluation of size, distances and dimensions is a challenging process on site and takes lots of time, patience and bites.
@ with Yann Gourmelon on the flying survey
Load distribution
The tree grows on a steep hill with an inclination of 2° from the vertical. This was an important aspect that was taken in consideration since the beginning and deciding to counter weight the tendency of the tree placing the main portion of house on the opposite side.
A 3d model in scale of the tree that can be visualized in every moment
“After this, in my opinion, was the tree that showed his own design. I like to think that the real architect is the tree itself."
Only with the tree on screen, lots of pictures, videos and sensations collected during different surveys on site, it was finally possible to read the skin, the structure, imagine views and find a combination of spaces suitable for the human size. The main objective in this process was to design on something that already has a living identity, a shape and a new role in the jungle ecosystem, as temporary space able to host human functions in the less intrusive way. Find in what at the beginning can look like a maze of branches and leaves, the proper technic to engineer a structure able to create the space to move, enjoy wildlife and landscape, relax, prepare food, regenerate yourself and sleep.
