While we love the idea behind glamping (camping in luxury? yes please!), we have to admit that it’s not always the most environmentally-responsible practice. Companies often have to clear large areas of land to make room for the glamping sites—not to mention, the environmental resources used to create, transport and construct the tents. Thankfully, a growing number of eco-friendly glamping companies are emerging, offering a greener alternative to the activity. Among the most innovative is definitely Tree Tents International, a UK company creating flat-packed, eco-friendly glamping cabins!
Just like something from IKEA, the cabin ships in a flat box and can be erected without construction materials. You can put it up anywhere and even suspend it on stilts or hang it from a tree. If you feel like it looks like a part of a plane, that’s no coincidence. Named Fuselage (after the main body of the airplane), the 3×5 metre cabins are inspired by modern aerospace design. “Airplane design is a great backbone to filter into architecture… especially when it comes to creating lightweight, efficient and tough structures,” says Tree Tents innovation director, who has a background in mechanical and aeronautical engineering.
“A typical, aeronautical fuselage has to undergo huge extremes in environmental and physical conditions and be as light as possible. This leads to really efficient design and use of materials, something that goes hand-in-hand with building sustainably. The use of timber and plywood in historical airframe manufacture was something I wanted to rekindle, along with some more modern elements, to produce the Fuselage.”
The Fuselage is Tree Tents’ second creation, with the first—The Tree Tent—being showcased in the 2014 TV show Amazing Spaces. “The Tree Tent is perfect for two to three people so following that we wanted to design and make another really adaptable structure but one that could offer more space and take on even more extreme weather and locations,” says Eva Brittin-Snell, production supervisor for Tree Tents International.
Sadly, the Fuselage isn’t the kind of thing you can lug from location to location—it does take 2-4 days to install. Instead, it’s been specifically designed to reach remote locations, thanks to its lightweight and easy-to-transport parts. The cabin comes a bed, table and chairs and you can choose from a range of add-ons like a wood-fired stove, off-grid solar panels and battery power storage. Yep, forget glamping, we think we’ll just move into one of the cabins for good—preferably in a Scandinavian forest!
Those Hygge vibes don’t come cheap, though—a basic model will set you back around $33,500 US. You can learn more about the Fuselage here.
