Learn about Forest Holidays’ Unfurl Collection at Glentress Forest, with their new biophilic cabins and treehouse designed with the natural world in mind
This post was written in partnership with Forest Holidays
We can be guilty of taking our planet – and our intrinsic connection to nature – for granted. As our lives continue to revolve around technology and the digital landscape, we become more estranged from our natural habitats, struggling to deal with the constant onslaught of noise. Urban design and societal pressures are overwhelming us too, so we find ourselves turning to Scotland’s forests, rolling hills and coastlines to feel present – and to feel well again.
Forest Holidays has just opened the perfect Scottish escape in Glentress Forest; a place to truly unwind. The Unfurl Collection sits quietly within the gateway to the Tweed Valley Forest Park and have been designed to facilitate wellness and renewal through an enhanced connection with nature – an architectural approach known as ‘biophilic design’.
Each cabin has been thoughtfully crafted to maximise the benefits of biophilic design principles, incorporating natural materials, colours, textures and seamless indoor-outdoor living spaces. Even the interiors are a reflection of the natural world. From riverlike grooves that run across ancient tree trunks to elegant silhouettes of jagged ferns that line the forest floor, you’ll see the most beautiful parts of the forest woven into the design of the Unfurl Collection.
“These spaces harness the power of nature and act as a reminder to appreciate everything our forests have to offer. We want our guests to be present in the moment, relax and focus on their wellbeing,” says Bruce McKendrick, Chief Executive Officer of Forest Holidays.
Designed with wellness in mind
“Being surrounded by such lush, vibrant nature in the midst of Glentress Forest meant that we could really look to enhance the cabin experience for Forest Holidays through our interior approach to colours, materials, fixtures and fittings inspired by the natural setting,” says designer Oliver Heath, whose firm Oliver Heath Design was hired to bring the Unfurl Collection to life.
Oliver Heath has been specialising in biophilic design for 20 years, putting wellness and the planet first. “As proponents of biophilic design, our approach is always to investigate how a deeper connection to nature can enhance the sensory qualities of a space – and so helping to reduce stress, aid restoration and keep people feeling happy and healthy.”
Health & Place’s 2018 study shows that measures of heart rate, blood pressure and perceived stress are reduced after exposure to nature or outdoor environments – especially in woodland areas. In a design context, Oliver says that physical wellbeing can be enhanced by features such as an abundance of natural light, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, water and hydration. “As the evidence demonstrates, our mental wellbeing will be enhanced through a focus on healthy sleeping practices, good acoustics, colours, texture, placemaking and a connection to nature.”
Oliver continues, “Lighting was key to curating a relaxing atmosphere and improving the quality of interior spaces in a way that would allow for a transformation between day and nighttime activity. We aimed to create a rich and multi-sensory environment that would both stimulate the senses but also allow for calm and restoration. In this way we mirrored the experience of time spent in the forest, bringing it inside to illicit a similar positive response to the cabin interiors.”
Blurring the line between outdoors and in
“It was essential that our interior designs drew continuity from the time spent in it,” Oliver says. “Whether that was the colour and visual richness of the trees and vegetation, the warm terracotta hues of the pine needles, the lush spongey softness of the moss, the invigorating scent of the pine trees or simply the dynamic transformations that occur throughout each day and across the year.”
Floor-to-ceiling timber panels also foster a feeling of forest immersion. “This sustainable approach is powered by responsibly sourced materials from suppliers whose values align with Forest Holidays’ own,” Bruce McKendrick adds.
Stone basins and locally sourced wood create a spa-like experience in the bathrooms, taking inspiration from the River Tweed. In the bedrooms, hints of heather and thistle evoke a sense of authentic Scottish warmth and comfort.
A biophilic designer would sum these sensibilities up as ‘ecological connection to place’ and you will find these dotted throughout every Unfurl Collection cabin. “It was a dream brief for us – to imagine a holiday cabin full of real “forest feeling”; to discover a space where you can breathe in nature, really slow down, disconnect and appreciate the simple things.”
Oliver continues, “You’ll see it most obviously in our colour choices across the walls, in the materials and textures across the fabrics, but also through time spent hanging out with loved ones as the space transits between day and night at this Forest Holidays location.”
Built on sustainable foundations
“We have a long history of creating cabin locations that are carefully integrated into the landscape and designed to offer a unique, immersive experience within the forest,” Bruce says. “As a certified B-Corp, nature is central to our business, guiding everything from the design and build of our cabin locations to the long-term positive ecological outcomes of the forests where we are based.”
It is the subtle intertwinement of humans and the environment that genuinely helps visitors restore their physical and mental wellbeing. “We know firsthand the wellbeing benefits of time spent in nature,” Bruce explains. “So our vision continues to be to create a corner of calm that will stand out in a busy market – a place to stay that leaves people feeling rested and restored, with help from the great outdoors.”
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Immerse yourself in nature with the new Unfurl Collection cabins in Glentress Forest
