Made by children in Sweden and Finland, ‘cone cows’ comprise a pine cone ‘body’ and four stick ‘legs’. They are so popular that they have found their way onto Swedish postage stamps ? and more recently provided the inspiration for Helsinki-based architecture firm Studio Puisto’s Arctic Treehouse Hotel when they were looking for a way to build sensitively in the Finnish arctic circle.

The 32 treehouse-like pods, arranged in pairs, are constructed of wood and clad in overlapping wooden shingles, mimicking the scale-like exterior of a pine cone and providing much-needed insulation. “They wander downhill, peering curiously at the landscape and northern lights,” say the architects.

To minimize the impact on their fragile surroundings, each one was constructed entirely off-site, with only the glazing and connection to surfaces carried out on-site. They stand on stick-like legs and have planted roofs to replace the landscape beneath them. “The ecological footprint of the materials and technical solutions used had an important impact at every step of the planning and building process,” say the architects.
But it is not just the exterior structure that has been carefully considered. “The contrast between wild nature and a safe, warm, nest-like space has been a guiding element of the whole design,” explain the architects.

Inside, from a dark, atmospheric entrance hall, you step into a light-filled bedro...