If you find hiking trails and walkways that stay on the ground a bit passé, or maybe if you just never outgrew your love of treehouses, then you may want to turn your attention to the forest of Gisselfeld Klosters Skove, about one hour south of Copenhagen in Denmark.
This preserved forest is about to be home to The Treetop Experience, a 600-meter treetop walkway that connects to a 45-meter-tall spiraling observation tower. The walkway and the observation tower, designed by EFFEKT, are one continuous ramp accessible by all regardless of physical condition. The walk will follow and cross a creek, lakes, and wetlands.
Rendering courtesy EFFEKT.
The 600-meter-long path is split into a higher and a lower walkway and passes through different varieties of forest while taking care to minimize any disturbance to the environment. The high walkway passes through the oldest parts of the forest and features a series of activities for different user groups to learn about and enjoy the forest. The low walkway and the tower are both located in the younger areas of the forest.
Among the features along the path will be an aviary containing different species of birds; a flat loop that allows visitors to walk around a tree crown and study the treetops up close; and the Amphi, a stepped seating pocket that allows walkers to take a rest or enjoy the forest view.
Rendering courtesy EFFEKT.
The tower is the culminating feature along the walkway. It takes on an hourglass shape with a thin waist and an enlarged base and crown. This shape makes the tower more stable, increases the observation deck area at the top, and allows for better contact to the forest canopy. The tower rotates 120 degrees, which allows the use of straight structural elements that result in a stiff, efficient, and visually striking structure.
The Treetop Experience will be a component of Camp Adventure, an existing adventure sports facility that includes treetop climbing and zip lines, and will begin at the Camp Adventure Farmhouse.
Rendering courtesy EFFEKT.
Rendering courtesy EFFEKT.
Image courtesy EFFEKT.
Rendering courtesy EFFEKT.
Related Stories
| Jan 21, 2015
Tesla Motors starts construction on $5 billion battery plant in Nevada
Tesla Motors’ “gigafactory,” a $5 billion project on 980 acres in Sparks, Nev., could annually produce enough power for 500,000 electric cars.
| Dec 29, 2014
Leo A Daly's minimally invasive approach to remote field site design [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
For the past six years, Leo A Daly has been designing sites for remote field stations with near-zero ecological disturbance. The firm's environmentally delicate work was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
Using energy modeling to increase project value [AIA course]
This course, worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW, explores how to increase project value through energy modeling, as well as how to conduct quick payback and net present value studies to identify which energy strategies are most viable for the project.
| Dec 23, 2014
5 tech trends transforming BIM/VDC
From energy modeling on the fly to prefabrication of building systems, these advancements are potential game changers for AEC firms that are serious about building information modeling.
| Dec 19, 2014
Zaha Hadid unveils dune-shaped HQ for Emirati environmental management company
Zaha Hadid Architects released designs for the new headquarters of Emirati environmental management company Bee’ah, revealing a structure that references the shape and motion of a sand dune.
| Dec 18, 2014
International Parking Institute and Green Parking Council collaborate with GBCI
The new collaboration recognizes importance of sustainable parking facility design and management to the built environment.
| Dec 17, 2014
USGBC announces 2014 Best of Green Schools honorees
Houston's Monarch School was named the K-12 school of the year, and Western Michigan University was honored as the top higher-ed institution, based on environmental programs and education efforts.
| Nov 25, 2014
Behnisch Architekten unveils design for energy-positive building in Boston
The multi-use building for Artists For Humanity that is slated to be the largest energy positive commercial building in New England.
| Nov 21, 2014
STEP Foundation, Green Building Initiative Team to Promote Building Sustainability
The STEP Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing technology industry benchmarks for sustainability practices in the built environment, and the Green Building Initiative, a nonprofit organization committed to accelerating the adoption of sustainable building practices, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
| Nov 2, 2014
Top 10 LEED lessons learned from a green building veteran
M+W Group's David Gibney offers his top lessons learned from coordinating dozens of large LEED projects during the past 13 years.
