Tiny tubular treetop studio has incredible detail and daylighting

Australian architect Max Pritchard has created a trippy cylindrical treetop structure for his home studio.

The small wooden tube of a building is approximately 20 feet tall and less than 10 feet in diameter, and it provides a cozy hideaway where Pritchard can work on the weekends. Prior to building his cylindrical studio, Pritchard already had a self-designed treetop residence. The main house is a cool white steel building, perched atop tall black stilts. Pritchard realized a need for a quiet space dedicated to work, and set out to design—and then build—his two-story studio.

The studio is a masterpiece in warm ochre. Built from locally-sourced hoop pine, the studio is not the first cylinder Pritchard has designed. He admits to using the circular form in other projects, as he told Dezeen Magazine: “I guess I like the combination of pure forms–the linear pavilion of the house contrasting with circular.”

Pritchard opted to build the studio himself among the trees, taking great pride in bringing his design into the real world. He believes that being involved in building helps architects better understand materials and design concepts as they apply to actual structures. Judging by the aesthetics of his elegant little studio, Pritchard has learned a lot over the years.