Dezeen Magazine

Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz

Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz spans cypress branches in central Texas

This rentable treehouse by designer Will Beilharz perches above a creek in Texas, and connects to a bathhouse via a suspension bridge.

Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz

Yoki Treehouse rests between the branches of two old cypress trees, 25 feet (seven metres) above a spring-fed creek flowing underneath.

Beilharz, founder of sustainable tourism company ArtisTree, created the nature retreat as bookable accommodation for guests.

Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz

The elevated cabin takes its name from the Hopi Native American word for rain, Yoki, as it is dedicated to the rain that feeds this area's springs and aquifers.

Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz

Located about an hour drive from Austin in central Texas, the treehouse comprises a main volume that measures 500 square feet (46 square meters), and a smaller detached unit that sits on solid ground and acts as a bathhouse.

Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz

The two designs are linked by a 60-foot (18-metre) suspension bridge, with various outdoor decks and paths across the site.

Guests access the main house from its roof, which doubles as an observation deck. An outdoor, spiral staircase leads to a porch where two cypress branches grow through the structure.

Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz

Inside is a kitchen, dining and sitting area with lofted bed, as well as a separate bedroom. The detached house across the way accommodates a bathroom and an Onsen-style soaking tub, fronted by a wall of windows.

Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz

The bathhouse is designed with concrete and pine surfaces, while the main house is clad in birch plywood. Metal is used for railings along the stairs and balustrades surrounding the decks.

Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz

Dezeen has covered many treehouse designs around the world. Other examples include a sphere-like treehouse in France by Atelier Lavit, an A-framed united in Canada by Studio North, and a pinecone-shaped treehouse in Italy by Claudio Beltrame.

Beilharz and his studio have also created a miniature cabin on top of a lava field on Hawaii's Big Island.

Photography is by Smiling Forest.

More images and plans

Floor plan
Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz
Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz
Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz
Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz
Yoki Treehouse by Will Beilharz