Timber iQ October - November 2018 // Issue: 40 | Page 29

PROJECTS
Tucked away on the Paarman family estate in Cape Town’s Constantia, the treehouse is a floating architectural interpretation of a forest.
the lounge area, dining room and kitchen. The next level houses the
homey bedroom and at the top, an open-air viewing platform and
entertainment deck can be found. The living space includes a seating
area accompanied with a fireplace and a dining alcove. What adds to
the distinctiveness of the structure is the garden setting which creates
an atmosphere and climate that will be difficult to find elsewhere.
According to the builder assigned to the project, Theunis Naude of
Theunis Naude Carpentry, the bulk of timber used in the construction
of the Paarman Treehouse was western red cedar which boasts
exceptional properties and can withstand the harsh elements. Naude
notes that the timber used was not treated to achieve a natural
weathered look over time.
“Western red cedar weathers well without being treated and will
maintain for many years to come. The timber used in the development
wasn’t treated as it has been left to naturally weather, granting it a
rustic fee l in the long-term. Western red cedar contains a natural oil
that assists with the natural preservation of the wood. Spruce wood
was used in the beams which was sandwiched in between the cedar so
that the spruce timber is not visible,” highlights Naude.
He continues, “Four sets of columns manufactured from corten steel
standing on concrete bases form the skeleton around which the whole
timber structure is fixed and carried. Corten steel has a higher
The cosy bedroom features a glass safety railing that has been added in front
of the bed to provide an unobstructed view of the trees.
percentage of copper than normal steel and is not
treated nor painted but left to rust. Each set of
columns consist of four corten tubes, which have
been cut and curved out of flat sheet, giving it a
facetted effect, with the two seams on opposite
sides being recessed and filled with a western red
cedar strip.
“The treads to the staircase are made of
computer numerical control (CNC) routered
standing laminated oak fixed to corten steel arms
protruding from the semi-circular structure. All
external window and door frames consist of
aluminium and glass, while the entrance and
bathroom doors have been made from oak.
Engineered oak has also been used for the flooring
on the lower as well as the upper level where the
bedroom is situated. The top floor and roof is
covered with a timber deck made of ipe wood.”
Naude says one of the biggest challenges the
team had to contend with was to construct this
unique building through the cold months of
winter, knowing that they were going to be
exposed to all the elements, the worst being
rainwater. “We erected a scaffold structure on
four sides around the project, about three metres
higher than the building’s highest point. We then
covered the whole scaffold structure with a
canvas sheet, which served its purpose as we lost
no construction time due to rain delays. Having
said this, the building successfully remained dry.”
Having truly enjoyed working on the project,
Naude says the most enlightening thing he learnt
during his building experience of the treehouse
was that great design and development can be
achieved in such a small space.
// OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 27