1The remarkable Yellow Treehouse (now Redwoods Treehouse) was commissioned as part of an innovative advertising campaign from Yellow Pages. The shapely pod structure sits high in a small stand of redwoods, accessed by an elevated treetop walkway. The ambitious timber design and the challenge of building a structure halfway up a tree demanded some creative engineering: a challenge we were delighted to accept.

2Working with our talented colleagues at Holmes Solutions, we tested for force and deflection, ensuring the tree would stand up to the load of restaurant staff and guests. Then, with expert help from an arborist, we explored and identified the best way to core through the tree in a way that caused a minimum of damage. The design came together using engineered plantation poplar slats and redwood balustrading that was milled onsite. The pod and walkway were designed to be weather resistant, using acrylic sheeting under the roof and roll down blinds within.