Officina82 Reimagines Traditional Italian Hay Barn as Timber Treetop Retreat
Studio Officina82 completes TreeBOX, an elevated wooden cabin in the Italian Alps inspired by local rural hay barns.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Studio Officina82 builds TreeBOX, a timber retreat among oak trees in Selucente, Italy.
- The structure is elevated on four wooden posts, avoiding structural burden on surrounding trees.
- Inspirations stem from barchi, traditional Alpine hay barns featuring movable roofs.
- Interiors feature light plywood, exposed structural timber, and a suspended rope net mezzanine.
Studio Officina82 has completed TreeBOX, a timber retreat elevated among the oak trees of Selucente in Garessio, Italy. Raised on four wooden posts above a sloping forest floor, the compact accommodation reaches toward the canopy without placing any structural burden on the surrounding trees. A bridge connects the hillside to the entrance, while a terrace and broad glazed surfaces open the room toward the wooded landscape and the distant peaks of the Ligurian-Piedmontese Alps.
The project takes its cues from the barchi, traditional hay barns found across the Ligurian Alps. Their movable roofs are supported by four timber posts and slide vertically according to the amount of hay requiring protection. Officina82 translates this practical rural mechanism into the upward silhouette of TreeBOX, shaping the cabin as a roof that appears to have continued rising until it found a comfortable position among the branches. Timber shingles cover the roof, walls, and faceted underside, giving the volume an almost continuous wooden skin.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Inside, the restrained footprint is organized vertically. The sleeping area occupies the glazed front of the cabin, placing the bed directly against views of trunks, leaves, and mountain ridges. Light plywood panels, exposed structural timber, and simple built-in elements keep the interior deliberately quiet, although competing with the view would have been a fairly ambitious assignment anyway.
Translating vernacular architecture like the traditional barchi barns into contemporary lodgings highlights the architect's commitment to preserving local cultural identity while innovating sustainable, low-impact hospitality models. This approach allows guests to immerse themselves in nature without disrupting delicate forest ecosystems, marking a growing trend in modern alpine tourism.
Above the bed, a suspended net forms a mezzanine-like resting area beneath the roof. A skylight draws daylight into the upper portion of the room and frames the canopy overhead, extending the experience from the forest floor to the sky. The plans reveal a compact square platform, an upper netted level, and an asymmetrical roof profile, while the full-height corner glazing visually enlarges the small interior. The result sits somewhere between a woodland observatory and a childhood hideout with considerably better structural calculations.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
TreeBOX forms part of Selucente, a hospitality project centered on the recovery of Alpisella, an alpine hamlet located at an altitude of 1,000 meters. The settlement includes modest residential buildings and agricultural structures such as stables, barns, and a communal oven. It once served as a local center for the surrounding family-run farms, featuring an elementary school attended by more than 20 pupils in the early 1900s and a small rural chapel at its heart.
The architecture was designed by Fabio Revetria and Lara Sappa from Studio Officina82, with photography captured by Giulia Sarno.
Source: designboom
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