„Hayo also just built a treehouse for himself“ my dear friend Anna tells me at my late birthday party in November. „You definitely have to meet him, I’m sure you’d like each other!“ Engineer Hayo Stam has moved from Netherlands to Austria six years ago to build a guest- and seminar-house. The concept he runs together with his partner Lisa is called „In the Woods“. The protective place in the nature and the lovingly arranged house offer space for exchange, support and inspiration. The guardians of the place Hayo and Lisa invite their guests to „just be“, coachings, seminars & transmigrations of souls. They aim to make all their guests feel at home. Last weekend we visited Hayo and Lisa there, because since last year there’s a treehouse peeking out from the spruce forest in Finsterau. Hayo Stam built it all by himself and fulfilled his longtime vision with it.

During our very laid-back interview, Hayo, Christopher and I are sitting on the couch. Sipping on some herbal tea. Any breaks in our conversation are immediately filled with total silence. We enjoy them, until the next question sways along and past us like driftwood:

That idea developed very early already. When I saw our forest plot, I already envisioned a platform high up in the trees. Or a nest with a roof, but open. I had that idea in my head for some years already.

That simply was the sunniest spot on the property. I climbed up a tree there, saw the Traunstein (a mountain close by) and knew it had to be there. I then selected the straightest and biggest tree strong enough to hold the treehouse.

Only together with my nephew Twan the idea really gained some momentum. When he came to visit us with his mother and his brother some times we always worked in the woods together, felling trees, chopping wood and making bonfires. Twan seemed to enjoy our working together. When I heard of him having a hard time at school, I thought it might be a nice idea to start that project together. He was hooked immediately. I then implemented the project half with Twan and half with my father, a retired engineer, and on my own from time to time.

My father always liked to rebuild homes in his spare time and from the cradle I always was involved. I learned a lot from him. So we worked a lot together already, we’re pretty good at it. And he also has a lot of good ideas. With me nephew Twan the collaboration was something new. I tried not to stipulate too much, but to let him think too. That was quite a challenge, because I had such a clear vision already. It was very nice that he also had very good ideas, like for example he developed a new technique of how to strip the bark from a tree.

Nine days with Twan, three days with my father and a couple of hours on my own every now and then. Maybe twenty days altogether?

The house is up seven meters (21 ft) .above the ground and it’s 3×3 (9×9 ft.) meters in size.

For me it was a big leap and overcoming to cut down a 30 year old tree. I wanted to make more space for the treehouse, but I almost couldn’t do it.

That we built it ourselves, the wonderful view of the Traunstein and that it’s open. I like it when the wind blows over my face and I feel the surrounding nature up there very close.

During construction a buzzard flew past my very close and in the night I’ve heard deer but didn’t see them.

No, not like now. A few boards in the tree maybe sometime, but you wouldn’t call that a real treehouse.

Yes, I think I could. Again and again I notice how little we really need to subsist. If this place (the bed&breakfast in which the couple also lives) wasn’t used by our guests, it would be way too big for me.

The tree! (laughs). No, a bed to sleep in, seating options and a natural source of light?

I really like to listen to the sound of the screech owl in spring. Other than that I can imagine classical, harmonic and calm music very good.

Larch- or Arolla Pine schnapps is it for me!

Aromatic, old mountain cheese!

Viktor Schaubergers „Our senseless toil“. That tells a lot already. (laughs)

The first thing which comes to my mind is freedom. And simplicity. An aim in life for me also is to be more present. As a child I wasn’t very attentive, my attention was always with the others. It was very easy for me to feel for somebody else, but I didn’t feel myself so much. Life went past me like a movie. That changed already now. Now I experience life a lot more immediate, I feel more alive.