Located in a stunning temperate rainforest on Vancouver Island, British Colombia, are three spheres suspended in the trees. The three spheres have names, and are called Eve, Eryn, and Melody. Fittingly tranquil and hip, I’d say.

Fun fact, Free Spirit Spheres are the first and only ones in the world to manufacture spherical treehouses. They come complete with so many amenities from home that my uncles St Catharines Tree Service Company would even enjoy it. If this idea appeals to you, it looks like you’re going to need to make your way to Vancouver Island. Which, by the way, is a really beautiful part of the world, treehouses aside.

So, a little about the design of the spheres, mainly because I think it’s cool! The spheres are designed informed by something called “biomimicry.” The word may look a little complicated, but if you just take a look at it and understand it part by part, its definition makes a lot of sense. First, you’ve got the bio part, so we’re thinking biology, so the natural world. Got it. Then the mimicry, so imitation. So, put them together, and we have the imitation of the natural world, which is exactly what biomimicry is. It’s taking design elements from the natural world and applying those principles to human structures. If it works for nature, should work for us, as we’re part of the natural world after all.

Added bonus, biomimicry aims to create sustainable design. So that’s also great. So, the spheres are designed like nuts, so they’re very sturdy and won’t puncture and the like. The suspension used is made to function like a spider web, which, if I’m not mistaken, is one of the strongest structural designs in the whole of the animal kingdom. So no worries about falling out of the canopy. The spheres are suspended between three trees, and, kind of like an inverted stool, as it’s described on their website, the weight is distributed evenly among the three trees. Pretty clever.

If you want a very detailed explanation of how the spheres are made and rigged, check out their website here. To sum up best I can, though, as I understand it, the ropes and riggings and whatnot used to suspend the spheres are actually very close to that used on a boat, which I thought was very neat. The other important tidbit I got is that there are a number of cables holding up the structure, each of which could hold the whole sphere by itself. So that’s a comforting thought, especially if you’re a little wary of heights, like I am.

The inside of the spheres are very cool, too! Again, check out the website for a more specific description about what’s going on, structurally, but know that it’s very creatively done, and that space is used very well. For example, there are closets on either side of the sphere door that not only act to reinforce the structure, but also provide you with storage space! I think that this sphere thing is such a great idea. And it’s not out-of-this-world expensive, either. Hopefully one day I can head over to Vancouver Island and fall asleep to the swaying of the trees.