Providing an elegant, robust, accessible and tree-friendly alternative to ladders or branches for climbing trunks, this spiral step solution lets you scale trees without harming them.

Developed by Thor ter Kulve and Robert McIntyre, the CanopyStair uses lightweight birch plywood, adjustable ratchet straps for leveling on uneven trunks and neoprene padding for soft contact points with the tree itself.

As the creators of this system point out, tree canopies are some of the least-explored places on Earth, in some ways as mysterious as the deep oceans or outer space.

The design was inspired in part by a stay off the coast of Portugal in a place with high walls blocking views. The designers found themselves turned into tree climbers in an effort to get a better look at the surrounding vista, then trying to figure out a way to take that approach to the next level, so to speak.

A curved top tread, wooden poles and plastic guidelines all help make the experience smooth and straightforward, letting those who may not normally be able to scale trees still climb them. The team also consulted arboriculturalists to make sure their approach would not damage or harm the trees being employed. The system takes a few hours to set up and as little as 30 minutes to deconstruct.

Furnishings become footholds, supports and resting spots as you scale the flipped-over floor of this fanciful apartment, opened to the public as a method to market a new IKEA store location.

Set up in front of an historic church in Clermont-Ferrand, France, locals were invited to scale various routes (four paths in total) of different difficulties made for both children and adults, created in collaboration with Ubi Bene, a local communications agency.

The mock apartment features beds, bookcases, chairs, tables and other fixtures set against prints, carpets, tiles and textiles, all actually on sale in the store being advertised.

Professional climbers were on hand at the opening to help people get outfitted and learn to climb – probably not something that would have been an easy sell in a country like the United States with its safety restrictions.

Spanning roughly 30 feet vertically and horizontally, the area is effectively that of (close to) a 1000-square-foot living space.