Launched by Minister-President of Flanders (Belgium), Kris Peeters on Friday, 28 September, the Treehouse (www.the-treehouse.be) is the result of a joint vision and partnership between Sappi Fine Paper Europe, ANB (the Agency for Nature and Forests), the Belgian Municipality of Hechtel-Eksel, and communication agency Proximity BBDO. Put simply, the Treehouse is a platform, both physical and virtual, for like-minded individuals and companies to come together to find ways to embrace sustainability in their daily activities. Sustainability is at the heart of everything Sappi does, and this new space in the tree tops, designed structurally in the form of an open book, provides the blank canvas, and the environmental inspiration to drive, and share, sustainable thinking.
Located in Bosland, the largest forest in Flanders, the Treehouse was designed by German architect Andreas Wenning. It is made from wood and metal, and is in effect, a meeting room in the trees. Once the idea for the Treehouse concept was born, Sappi made it its business to find partners to make the project real. With sustainability firmly embedded as a company policy, a strong desire to share their experience with others, and to encourage further thinking on the topic made the commitment to bringing the Treehouse concept to life a natural next step. During the launch, Eric Van den Bruel, product development and marketing director for Sappi said, ‘As a pulp and paper producer, it is important for Sappi that there is a sustainable way to manage our forests. We devote a lot of our energy to sustainability, and are delighted to have the Treehouse as a new and inspiring platform where we can continue to learn from others and share our experience in this area.’
