March 21 marks the International Day of Forests, a date to remember the importance of these ecosystems in the fight against climate change, the survival of human beings and the future of the planet. An awareness that has been implemented over the years in the different sectors, and that has experienced a final push with the pandemic.
One of the markets most marked by this trend has been high-end real estate, which has led to a new way of doing architecture with the rise of constructions such as luxury tree houses. Nacho García-Milla, CEO and founder of Cicerone Real Estate, with more than 20 years in the real estate sector, explains that this new fashion – motivated by the current way of life and not by natural inclement weather as in the past – is conquering to many real estate players who seek to turn their home into an oasis of tranquility, where they can get away from the city to live in harmony with nature.
“It was in 2014 when Phillip Jodidio published the work that would start the boom of this trend: Tree Houses. Fairy Tale Castles in the Air. Since then, numerous companies specializing in this type of housing have emerged, especially in America, but they are increasingly plus the European countries that are adept at this trend,” argues García-Milla. As explained by the CEO of Cicerone Real Estate, in Spain, this new form of architecture is gradually making its way into the high-end real estate market, together with another upward trend; the search for sustainable luxury homes. “In times when environmental awareness has grown enormously, the tree house can become the ultimate symbol of life in symbiosis with nature, minimizing the impact on the environment as much as possible,” he continues.
In addition, the fear of contagion from Covid-19 in cities, the proliferation of teleworking and the increase in restrictive measures have caused the interest of many to flee to rural areas with little crowding. “Now more than ever, the great health benefits of living in the countryside have become latent, and for this reason, tree houses are becoming a highly valued type of housing in the luxury real estate market” , adds García-Milla.
In this sense, the expert in the real estate sector recognizes the great added factors involved in living in a house of these characteristics, since a unique location and design are required. “Each house allows its buyers to live completely immersed in a privileged natural environment and the design of the property adapts perfectly to the shape of a tree, unique in the world. This factor makes each house exclusive, since there will be no other like it in the world,” he explains.
sustainable benchmark
These homes are becoming a benchmark in sustainability in the luxury real estate market, since most of them are built with natural or recycled materials and include solar panels and rainwater recycling systems, as well as insulation High performance thermal. However, other parameters are also taken into account, such as the orientation of the house allowing the best use of light. “In other words, the key is that the ecological impact is minimal,” says the CEO.
Although it is difficult to have official quantitative data on the number of constructions of this type, since a tree house for private use that is supported only by trees, without auxiliary legs, does not occupy land and is considered air space, the expert assures that the trend It has grown exponentially in the last five years. “In the last decade, the construction of this type of property has spread in different parts of Spain for its exploitation as a tourist residence, in what is currently known as glamping or ecotourism. They are usually rented for short periods of time and are located in beautiful natural spaces”, he adds.
Regarding the profile of the buyer, García-Milla clarifies that he responds to a man with high purchasing power with a family, who wants to build his own tree house for his private use, usually in his second home. “In the last year, due to the lockdowns, we have started to receive requests for projects of this type from owners who own large tracts of land and want to have their own tree house for personal use. built as an original guest house or as a recreational space for families with young children”.