Those who have been following our social media channels for the past few weeks already saw it: construction is going on in our forest again! A brand-new tree house is rising on the spot where our Pied Woodpecker used to be. Not a copy of what was there, but a whole new place – one that brings the outside in even more. The construction team is five strong. Bram and Stijn tell us with great enthusiasm about the unique vibe on site (and reveal the new name of our tree house!).
Bram: “For almost a year and a half, an empty spot in Treelodge was a silent witness to the fire on Boxing Day 2024. That's when our beautiful Pied Woodpecker burned down completely. At first, we didn't know whether we wanted to rebuild on that spot. But during a hike in the Ardennes last year, Karen and I tied the knot anyway. We just love doing this too much: imagining, designing, building a new tree house.... And we still had so many ideasën. So a few months ago we got our regular construction team back together. A fun team, a real gang of friends. That camaraderie, that fun... that's also really one of the reasons we're here again now."
To give guests the peace and quiet they are used to from Treelodge, we work in special construction weeks. These are weeks – or half-weeks – when no guests are staying in the other treehouses and we can go full throttle. Bram then makes sure all the orders are done and the materials are ready. Then we can fly in.
Stijn Van Dessel of Tree Art is one of our regular construction friends and has helped build the other Treelodge treehouses.
Bram: “Stijn has been one of our regular partners in crime since we built our first treehouse.”
Stijn:“We have known each other for a long time and although we all do our own jobs outside here, we enjoy making time for the new tree house here. In the meantime, we've really gotten along. As a result, construction is progressing quickly. Faster even than Bram had in mind.
Bram: “Indeed, everyone knows his job here at the site. David and Robbe are roofers and do the calculations, for example of the angles. Bram – yes, another Bram – Stijn and I are meanwhile working on the other joinery. If a few people are working on the battens, the others will, for example, already measure out the window frames and finish carpentry.”
“Stijn is usually at the sawing machine. Then suddenly someone shouts: ‘Stijn, 26.7!’ And a little while later a block flies up”, laughs Bram.
Stijn:“It sometimes seems like we decide on the spot where to put a wall or how wide the toilet should be. But Bram and Karen have detailed those plans and had them approved by an architect. Then someone will come and ask how wide the corridor should be, for example, and Bram will pull a piece of a plan out of his back pocket that says it all.
This time, everything has been done.
So this time everything is also calculated down to the millimetre, and nothing of materials is wasted. Bram: “In the Buzzard – but then that really is a héél big project - it was sometimes a bit of a search to find the right quantities. But now, for example, there were two kilometres of battens ready and that fitted exactly. Without skimping on quality, because that remains the most important thing for us."
Stijn: “We also learned a lot while building the previous tree houses, which we can apply now. For instance, we worked with temporary braces to build the previous platforms. These then had to be taken out afterwards, which was sometimes a real hassle. Now, from the start, we knocked enough permanent braces into the ground that they can stay in place. That is much more efficient.”
“Do you know what it is? We all want to help Bram and Karen. And Treelodge is such’a great project. There is also a very positive vibe at the yard. That's why we all want to give that little extra. ”
Bram: “That is true, and we celebrate it regularly. After a construction period, for example, we light up the barbecue and the wives and children join us, for a party.”
Bram: “The new treehouse at Treelodge will be a blissful and very spacious place for two, where luxury and nature go hand in hand. The Pied Woodpecker was also a treehouse of the same shape. The biggest difference now is the huge glass back wall. We have 3.5-metre-high windows running up to the ridge of the A-frame. These suck the forest in, so to speak. It's almost like being in a painting."
The relaxation has also been thought of. Bram: "The hot tub is sunk into the terrace with two levels. So you look straight into the forest from the hot tub, there is no obstruction. And inside, you then have an open loft seven metres high. That spatial feeling, that light... staying here really becomes a unique experience."
Stijn:“Don't forget the bath. Taking a bath with such’s beautiful view, that must be fantastic.”
A few months ago, we put out a call you on our socials. We were looking for a name for our new treehouse. Lots of responses came in. Also very often ‘Fenix’, after the mythical bird that rises from its ashes. Although that was certainly a nice nod to the past, we chose a different name: Nightingale. Bram: "Nightingale just fits in better. All our huts are named after local birds. Nightingale is a wonderful addition to our family of Tawny Owl, Buzzard and Chiffchaff."
In the meantime, construction is progressing well and you can already book places in our new Nightingale, for stays from February 2027. We already can't wait for the first guests to come here to slow down and wake up among the trees.
Book your place in our Nightingale