The Man who Builds Houses in Trees

Takashi Kobayashi, founder of Japanese company TreeHouse Creations, is fascinated by the vitality and aura of trees. It was while admiring the beauty of a Himalayan cedar that he felt this spark, one that would never leave him and that would inspire him to build his first treehouse. This was in 1994, somewhere in a little street in Tokyo’s Harajuku district.

A sustainable and ecological habitat

Be it architecture, design, or assembly, Takashi Kobayashi learns on the job. Integrating a little house into a lofty environment is more complex than it seems: as well as taking the tree’s history into account, it is particularly important to plan for its future. Takashi Kobayashi takes around six months to build these huts nestled in greenery. The treehouses are made in different shapes, from the classic to the more original.

Takashi Kobayashi seeks to take a more ecological approach in his work, notably by raising awareness of the need to protect the environment. He gives classes in which he shares his experience as the ‘man of the woods’, while continuing, with TreeHouse Creations, to fulfil the treehouse dreams of eternal children.

Takashi Kobayashi’s creations can be found on TreeHouse Creations’ website and Instagram account.