The Casetta Tessino in Valle Onsernone, Switzerland, is a minimalist treehouse that pays homage to Henry David Thoreau’s literary work, Walden. Designed by Olin Petzold, the treehouse is anchored to three trees on a Swiss artist and climate activist’s property. The compact writing studio challenges conformity while circumventing local zoning laws forbidding additions to existing buildings.

Its triangular base rests on the trio of anchor trees, branching upward to a rotated equilateral triangle whose corners poke out between the trunks. One side faces the slope, while the other two face the Onsernone Valley. True to Thoreau’s deemed essentials, the cabin offers a place to sleep, sit, and write. Sparse and minimalist, the interior is furnished with a bed hidden underneath four removable wooden panels, and two planks serve as a bench and desk.

The facades open completely, allowing the forest climate to cool the cabin in the summer; the translucent polycarbonate walls let in enough sun to heat the space during the colder months. Natural wood finishes add warmth to the interior palette.

“As in Walden, the refuge in Loco contains only a place to sleep, a place to sit and a place to write,” Petzold explains. The cabin remains open to other creatives, turning occupation and appropriation of the small space into an experiment that tests both design and habits.

Photography © Peter Tillessen