Timber iQ October - November 2018 // Issue: 40 | Page 26

PROJECTS
Offering views among the trees, the Paarman Treehouse was designed by Malan Vorster Architecture Interior Design.
Life among the treetops
The aesthetically pleasing Paarman Treehouse in the Cape elevates
architectural design to appraised lofty heights.
By Candace Sofianos King | Photos by Adam Letch
T
here is a longstanding tradition in the architectural
profession that when architects and clients collaborate
in the context of nature’s purity and beauty, they
strive to attain an equal level of perfection. In the case of
the distinctive dream-like Paarman Treehouse, conceived by
award-winning Malan Vorster Architecture Interior Design,
the style is not indulgent but highly restrained.
Nestled on the picturesque Paarman family estate – of
Ina Paarman foodie fame – in the Constantia winelands
outside Cape Town, the treehouse is the culmination of
Paarman Foods managing director Graham Paarman’s
longstanding goal of adding a one-bedroomed, treehouse
hide-away to the family estate.
24 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 //
With Malan Vorster Architecture having previously worked
with the family on various buildings on the property over
the years, Graham, who is also Ina’s son, joined forces again
with the firm to create the treehouse. The result? An
exquisite floating architectural interpretation of a forest.
Raised on pillars, this modern cabin in the woods appears to
float above the ground as you enter the glorified treehouse
via a suspended timber and weathered steel ramp, which
adds to the building’s elevated appeal. Adding to this
floating forest aesthetic, the building was placed at the
‘forest edge’, albeit a largely man-made one.
See more on page 26