{"id":30287,"date":"2016-07-25T10:18:39","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T08:18:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.area-arch.it\/en\/treetop-walkaway\/"},"modified":"2016-07-25T10:37:33","modified_gmt":"2016-07-25T08:37:33","slug":"treetop-walkaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.area-arch.it\/en\/treetop-walkaway\/","title":{"rendered":"Treetop walkaway"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Stihl Treetop Walkway by Glenn Howells Architects<\/a>\u00a0provides stunning new views over Westonbirt Arboretum,\u00a0home to one of\u00a0the finest tree collections in the world. It\u00a0holds 16,000 unique specimens including\u00a0a 2,000 year-old lime tree, all carefully\u00a0laid out in woods, rides, glades and\u00a0downs that form a beautiful Grade I listed\u00a0historic landscape.\u00a0At almost 300m in length, the route takes a sinuous form, snaking above and through the tree canopy supported by elegant scissoring timber legs spaced at 10.5m intervals that hold the structure in the air. At four points along the route the walkway also gently widens from 1.9 to 3.7m, providing spaces for pause, reflection, and interpretation of the surrounding\u00a0woodland.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
photo by Rob Parrish<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Referencing the genetic code of trees in its design, the walkway was inspired by\u00a0the complexity and elegance behind the fundamental structures of trees. This was then expressed with parametric principles, which can transform a single line into a detailed design model using\u00a0algorithms and parameters. This parametric approach enabled greater experimentation, ultimately ensuring a more elegant and seamless design. After considerable testing the leg spacing was set at 10.5m allowing for a visually continuous flow, spanning roads and minimising the impact on existing trees.\u00a0Striving for excellence throughout, in terms of materiality the structure ingratiates itself with its environment thanks to a sensitive approach to design and material selection. The walkway is\u00a0constructed of larch which ages gracefully, the timber weathering to a silver-grey to complement the steel balustrade.<\/p>\n