CANOPYSTAIR | TREE TRUNK STAIRCASE

Did you have a tree house as a child? If you did, lucky you. When we were kids, tree houses were the ultimate escape, our little hideaway from the boring, stressful world of adults and our door to imaginary world where everything was possible. Tree houses were the epitome of contemplation and tranquility. We are yet to see someone designing a sustainable tree house for adults, but the idea that we are featuring today comes very close to it in terms of the piece and quiet it offers. It is the CanopyStair, a modular system of steps that can be attached to any tree trunk without the need for special skills or tools.

CanopyStair was designed by Robert McIntyre and Thor ter Kulve after a trip to the Azores

This spiral staircase is light and easy to install and yet it won’t cause any damage whatsoever to the tree. The CanopyStair is designed by Robert McIntyre and Thor ter Kulve and their inspiration came from a trip to the volcanic islands of the Azores, off the coast of Portugal. The house where the two were staying was very near the seaside which, unfortunately, could not be seen from the window because a huge wall was blocking any view of it. The only way to enjoy the view was to climb a tree in the garden. Robert and Thor starting to imagine how they could transform the tree into a staircase and, voilà, the idea of the CanopyStair was born.

CanopyStair is very easy to set up and it requires no special skills or tools

The CanopyStair has an aluminum frame, lightweight tread, handrail and a ratchet strap. When designing this step system, McIntyre and ter Kulve, who graduated from the Royal College of Art in London, also relied on their knowledge of aeronautical engineering. By the way, Robert’s uncle was the head engineer in the production of one of the most famous airplanes – De Havilland’s ‘Mosquito’.

Using aluminum tripods and an aeronautical inspired design, the CanopyStair will not cause any harm to the tree you set it up on

The CanopyStair is not only a tool to help you climb to the top of the tree to enjoy the view, but also an escape into your own personal dream world. Not only that, forest canopy is the least explored ecosystem on the Earth, and the CanopyStair is one way for you to access this wonderful world without intruding much. [via]