This contemporary treehouse-inspired cabin is a playful composition between squares and circles!

If you’re ever in the lush forests of Cape Town, you may come across four cylindrical towers, that kind of resembles a treehouse! This contemporary cabin is the work of local studio Malan Vorster.

They were commissioned to create a one-bedroom space inspired by the height, shape, and aesthetics of a tree! Elevated on stilts, the cabin was built to mimic the vertical trunks of the trees that surround it, allowing it to seamlessly merge with the rest of the forest, and look truly at one with it. This also helps to maximize the views from the elevated cabin. Inspired by the works of Kengo Kuma and Louis Kahn, the cabin is a playful composition of four cylindrical towers which form a pin-wheel configuration, that rises up from the square-shaped base of the home.

The structural columns within the house, branch into arms at the top, creating large rings that support the consecutive floor above it. Each side of the treehouse features large floor-to-ceiling windows, that allow you to take advantage of the gorgeous view surrounding the cabin.

Featuring a warm color palette, the cabin was built using red cedar wood and Corten steel. The wood is left completely untreated so that it will weather naturally over time, and adopt a tone similar to the surrounding trees. Corten steel was also used to build the entrance ramp which leads to the first level.

Inside, the home is quite simple and unique. The main living area occupies the first floor of the home. A patio, dining alcove, and the main staircase are placed on the semi-circular bays. The master bedroom is located on the second floor, with an en-suite bathroom in one corner, whereas the third floor features a roof deck.

The entire cabin is geometrically unique and is almost like a joyous game being played between the shapes – square and circle! It’s a warm, private and open space, situated in an exotic location, making it the perfect vacation destination. It’s also heaven for nature lovers. I sure would love a space like this, to escape to during the summers!

Designer: Malan Vorster