Baumraum Creates Self-Sufficient Treehouse Retreat in the Forests of Hechtel-Eksel, Belgium

Bremen-based design studio <a href="http://www.baumraum.de/" target="_blank">Baumraum</a> built this incredible treehouse retreat in Hechtel-Eksel that acts as an international conference center where businessmen and scientists can meet up and discuss sustainability. The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/o2-sustainability-treehouse-by-dustin-feider/" target="_blank">eco-friendly treehouse</a> bridges the gap between economy and ecology and encourages major stakeholders in the battle for sustainability to adopt an environmentally-conscious attitude and incorporate it into their daily activities.

Initially designed as a single sheet of paper that encloses both interior and exterior spaces, the building consists of two cabins on different levels, connected by terraces and a central staircase.

The lower of the cabins is reserved for informal activities and auxiliary functions, comprising a coffee lounge, pantry, restroom and technology room.

The treehouse uses existing supplies of the adjacent museum for air conditioning.

An underground heat pump extracts heat from the air in wintertime, while cooling it in the summer.

The upper cabin functions as a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-peoples-meeting-dome-deconstructs-the-geodesic-domes-sacred-geometry/" target="_blank">meeting place</a>, hosting different events related to sustainability issues.

Resting on 19 angled steel stilts - with <a href="http://inhabitat.com/matali-crasset-creates-living-pods-for-modern-artists-in-the-forests-of-france/" target="_blank">minimal impact</a> on the forest floor, this small retreat has a combination of features that make is both eco-friendly and inspirational.