Branching Out: 7 Architectural Projects Grown Around Trees

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Architecture that integrates the landscape of its proposed site into the interior and exterior spaces of the final building is not something new, but the homes in this collection do a particularly good job of infusing architecture with nature. By either working with the topography and foliage on a site or utilizing trees to breathe life into suffocated city plots, these architects remind us of the potential of nature to aid healthy living.

Many city plots are too small to incorporate both a house and a sizable garden. By integrating a tree at the heart of the home, these architects have created a healthy indoor living environment and brought a small piece of nature to crowded city neighborhoods. Featuring trees in a courtyard or open-plan living area, these dwellings engender a large, light-filled space that fundamentally changes the dynamic of each home.

Minna No Ie by MAMM DESIGN, Tokyo, Japan

The site for Minna No Ie was completely surrounded by other residences, so the architects were left with little room on the exterior of the home. Their solution was to incorporate nature in the central interior room to bring some respite from the urban environment to their clients.

The Tea House by Archi-Union, Shanghai, China

The Tea House is surrounded by walls on three sides and a large tree on the remaining side. To build the home to the necessary size and not disturb the tree, the architects incorporated the tree into the balcony, wrapping the exterior around the branches.

The Ash-Tree House by Ludens Mx, Mexico

The architects wanted to make a private and intimate house that respected the natural surroundings and used local materials in its construction. While keeping the home closed to the exterior, they were able to incorporate the existing ash trees in the entryway and the interior courtyard, bringing some nature into the home.

IMJ Tree House by Ifat Finkelman & Deborah Warschawski, Jerusalem, Israel

This tree house uses an open, slated wood construction and works with the existing tree to create a beautiful and interesting play area for kids before they enter the museum, and a more comfortable area for their parents to wait for them.

Forest House in the City by Studio Velocity

Forest House uses large glass doors throughout the first floor and an extended balcony with many windows on the second floor to bring the trees on this small urban site into the home. The many views of the trees and points of entry allow the inhabitants to seamlessly transition between the interior and the exterior green space.

Shrimp by UID architects, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan

The architects wanted this private residence to feel like a house in the mountains, but it is surrounded by other homes and a street. In order to infuse the dwelling with a more natural language, they incorporated a tree into the center of the home and used natural materials throughout.

Corallo House by Paz Arquitectura, Santa Rosalía, Guatemala

The Corallo House incorporates the natural topography and foliage of the site to bring the house into the surrounding forest, rather than carving out a space for it.

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