How the Other Half Lives: The Coolest Home Office Ever

By Jaime Derringer (Subscribe to Jaime Derringer's posts)
Dec 14th 2009 8:00AM

Categories: Green Design, Wish We Could..., Luxury Living, Famous Homes, Design, etc, House Tours, Architecture, Cool Homes

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The structure is like a traditional tree house, except that it's built around a horizontal tree. Photo: Eric Staudenmaier

When a tree falls in your backyard, you definitely hear it, but what do you do with it? Remove it, right? Well, the homeowner of a Brentwood estate in Los Angeles decided to let a sleeping tree lie. Surprisingly, the 40-year-old pine tree began to revive and grow from its horizontal position, and the art-loving homeowner decided it was time to honor it by building a 172-square-foot office/guest house atop the tree.

Forget the typical tree house. This modern tree house straddles a horizontal tree trunk -- the exact opposite of its traditional counterpart, which is typically high off the ground and supported by standing trees.

The steel poles that secure the structure also act as decorative sculptures on the inside -- with one going right through the desk! Photo: Eric Staudenmaier

The architects, Rockefeller Partners Architects, took the homeowner's dream as a challenge. Chris Kempel, the project's architect, says that it was important to everyone involved that they honor the fallen tree. "It was a critical part of the design and construction process," he says. "Not only was it important to somehow incorporate it into the design, but also to build effectively around it, without affecting its health. But we also saw it as an opportunity. It allowed us to create a unique relationship and tension between the built object (tree house) and the natural (fallen tree)."

The design process took about 8 months; construction took 18. And we love the finished results.

Instead of the treehouse ladder seen in traditional treehomes for kids, simple, concrete stairs lead to the front door. The space has a small bathroom, an outdoor shower, a fridge, a fireplace and a microwave and daybed -- so guests can stay too. To allow for maximum light and ventilation, the structure is wrapped in windows. Those gorgeous floors are walnut, the windows are mahogany and coolest of all are the steel poles that shoot up from the ground all the way to the structure's roof.

It's why we can't stop drooling over this space. This treehouse is nicer than most people's homes!

The original pine tree that inspired the office is visible through a porthole. Photo: Eric Staudenmaier

Comments (9)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

bk 1-01-2010 @ 8:43PM

Just goes to show what they say about people that have more dollars than sence. Not to mention it's flat ugly...

Terri 1-02-2010 @ 4:46PM

Your comment was the best part of the entire article! Couldn't agree with you more!

Kathy 1-02-2010 @ 7:19PM

What ever happened to the rule, "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all" I think they need to inforce the teaching of that in school again!

Jan Rayl 1-02-2010 @ 5:51PM

You have plenty of sense . . . or is it cents or, as you "say" it, sence?
Wow - wonderful critique.

Jan Rayl 1-02-2010 @ 5:51PM

Very cool! The wood is gorgeous.

Crystal 1-03-2010 @ 3:10AM

This was a unique and very thoughtful project! How cool is this?! The imagination and heart into this project just warms my heart. May I also say, do not let the bitter sour and just plain rude ppl in these comments bring you down at all! Wonderful job! I commend your time energy, effortand imagination!! While others may be negative in the money spent on this, uhm, what business is it of theirs to begin with? When they work and make thier money no one tells them what to do with it so bump them..lol. Omg I just love this, warms my heart! Happy new Year to you all. Let your imagination ponder your abilities to bring it forth to realness!

Greg P 1-03-2010 @ 3:11PM

As a builder and remodeler of homes for more than 30 years, I am amazed at the enormous waste of money and materials that so many are putting into extremely personalized structures.

I am further disgusted that this example of waste is catagorized under "Green Design, Wish We Could..., Luxury Living". Nothing could be less green than this structure. I didn't see any mention of any green methods of materials although I'd bet someone somewhere at the architectural firm has used a product or method that makes that claim.

Had the owner or archiotect really wanted to "honor the tree", they would have planted another.

Donna 1-03-2010 @ 6:21PM

I think it is a beautiful tree office my hubby is a self employed constrition worker and we always come up with things. That are different so what who cares how much money you spend on things as long as you can enjoy it.

Kenneth Bradley 1-04-2010 @ 11:51AM

Who are these guys who enjoy being rude and disrespectful to others in this world. Theskill we see here is tremendous acheivment irrespective of the ignoramous commentators who could not clip 2 pieces of paper together never mind two panels of wood. Dry up and turn respectful if you know what it means if not then do as the lady says shut up if you have to be disrespectful.