The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Dundee researcher’s designs for ‘luxury eco-treehouse’
A Dundee University researcher has worked with architects to produce conceptual designs for a luxury “eco-treehouse”.
It is said the design will be capable of housing a family, regulating its own temperature and functioning on a selfmaintaining, low-energy cycle.
Civil engineering lecturer Dr Anthony Leung devised the conceptual building to demonstrate how modern urban development and environmental protection do not have to be at odds with each other.
His sustainable design makes use of advanced engineering concepts to work with, rather than against, nature.
Conventional building materials are avoided in favour of sustainable substitutes wherever possible, with living mature trees potentially acting as the building’s supporting columns. A natural temperature regulation system cuts carbon emissions by making use of climbing plants on the exterior walls and wooden floor slabs with excellent thermal insulation properties.
Extra protection can be provided by the tree canopy, which serves as a natural shelter, shielding the building from snow and rain.
Grass is proposed to create a green roof for collecting rainwater and regulating urban run-off. The run-off can be directed to a mini-wastewater treatment plant where it is filtered for household use.
Dr Leung said: “The point of developing this concept is to demonstrate how we can borrow the power of nature to create natural shelter for human beings in a modern, yet ecologically friendly way.”