Rentable Modern Treehouse Is Built for Cold Climates

Treehouses are a perennial favorite on Treehugger, and no wonder: they often incorporate green-minded notions like simple living, small space design, and, of course, getting humans to reconnect with trees and nature in general.

In Quebec, Canada, local cabin building company Repère Boréal has built a treehouse with an intriguing twist. Perched 40 feet up in the air on metal stilts, the UHU treehouse is constructed out of a durable steel frame, and its unique diamond shape is a modified form that is inspired by the traditional A-frame cabin. Its name means "owl" in the language of the indigenous Innu people, and it measures a little over 200 square feet.

Intended as a short-term rental for guests in the company's glamping site in the beautiful region of Charlevoix, it includes the basic comforts like a bed, shower, toilet, kitchenette, and, of course, a gorgeous view of the Saint Lawrence River. The company is run by brothers Jonathan and Simon Galarneau, who were inspired to launch the family business by their father, who sadly passed away before he could see it realized. We get a tour of how the UHU cabin was designed and what the interior looks like via Exploring Alternatives:

The entry point up to the treehouse begins at ground level, where there is a deck that is outfitted with a fire pit and chairs.

There is a staircase, shielded with a wooden slatted structure that leads up to the treehouse. Incidentally, this staircase also provides additional structural support to stabilize the treehouse, while also providing a pathway for utilitarian things like plumbing and electricity to be run up.

Past a bridge that connects the staircase with the treehouse itself...

... we come into an interior that is reminiscent of an A-frame cabin, and yet is quite modern, given its asymmetrical angularity and high-quality touches, like plywood panel walls, black steel framing on the windows, and energy-efficient LED lighting throughout. The cabin is heated with a combination of a heat pump and radiant heating in the floor. Grey water is recycled out of the cabin and reused elsewhere on site.

The space is compact, but everything needed for a comfortable stay is here. At the entrance, there is this space-saving closet that pulls out, so that guests can put away shoes and coats. The shape of the pull-out closet matches the roofline and, like most everything in this cabin, was custom-made to fit the irregular angles of the dwelling.

The bathroom is next, and features a bentwood wall that adds some curvilinear elements to an angular space. The wall also bends here in order to make more room for the toilet. Even the toilet paper holder was custom-welded in a shape that matches that of the cabin.

The shower is adjacent, and has glass walls to keep it feeling open, in addition to LED lighting embedded in the floor.

The entrance also has cabinets to fit in utilities like the hot water heater and a mini refrigerator. Any residual space in the cabin has been cleverly reclaimed so that more mundane things are hidden away, thus reducing any visible clutter.

Next up is the kitchenette, which has easy-to-clean steel countertops, sink, stovetop, and open storage for things like bowls and plates.

We love these little touches like the wooden holders for wine glasses and bottles of wine that sit off to the side of the kitchenette.

The queen-sized bed, opposite the kitchenette, has more storage drawers built in underneath.

The main window occupies all of one end of the treehouse. The modern black-painted mullions frame a magnificent view of the Saint Lawrence River, the main waterway of the province that links the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The dining counter here takes up less space, especially when paired with two contemporary barstools.

Up above, there are two skylights to bring more natural sunlight into the space, with one of them being operable so that fresh air can also enter.

It's an impressive cabin that will likely please most adventure- and comfort-loving people, with nightly prices starting at $240. There are more cabin options available as well, all of them being built by the company. To check out all the details, visit Repère Boréal and their Instagram.