LD Tree House

LD Tree House is perched 12 feet above the ground on slender, steel columns that range from 6-12 inches in diameter.

Project Details

• Project Name: LD Tree House
• Project Type: Residential
• Principal Designer/s: Christopher Kempel, AIA, Bridget Zimniski
• Design Team: Rocky Rockefeller, AIA; Christopher Kempel, AIA; Bridget Zimniski
• Date of commencement of project: 2005
• Date of completion of project: 2008
• Location of site: Mandeville Canyon, Los Angeles, California
• Built-up Area: 170 square feet

At night, LD Tree House will appear as a Japanese lantern hanging from the branches of the pine tree.

Words from the architect

Part office/studio, part hideaway, this project is located at the base of a large pine tree in the backyard of a canyon residence. The client is an artist and nature lover so the LD Tree House will serve as a creative respite from the demands of professional and domestic responsibilities.

At 170 square feet, the project is modest in size but an efficient plan allows for a fully functional studio space, kitchenette and a powder room. Deep-oiled mahogany siding and windows, and a Rheinzink roof were chosen for their natural qualities and rich palette.

The butterfly roof appears to float above structure.

The tree house is perched 12 feet off the ground on slender, steel stilts that give the impression of willowy tree trunks. The entry stairs, constructed of Brazilian paulope wood and an open steel structure, are reached by way of a circulation sequence consisting of concrete stairs and ramp that ascend the hillside.

From this transparent corner the owner has an unencumbered view of the hillside garden and tree canopy.

The surrounding landscape is both natural and designed, incorporating a poured-in-place concrete retaining wall that lithely follows the sloping grade of the tree-lined site. At the base of the tree house is a simple yet sexy outdoor shower, enveloped by the retaining wall and screened by natural landscaping.

Credits

• Text by Allison Milionis, Courtesy of the Architect
• Photographs by Bridget Zimniski, Courtesy of the Architect