The Anatomy of Treehouses: New Buildings from an Old Tradition

302 Pages·2018·32.27 MB·English

by  Jane Field-Lewis

CONTENTS
Introduction
THE WOODSMAN
Blackberry wood treehouse
Family treehouse
Aircastle
Woodland writer’s retreat
The woodsman’s treehouse
Treehouse @ the wood
THE DREAMER
Kudhva
Crane 29
The dormouse nest
Free spirit spheres
Hemloft
THE ESCAPIST
Treehouse at son net hotel
Château valmer
The garrison treehouse
Apple headquarters
Sky den
THE DESIGNER
Urban treehouse
Healdsburg treehouse
Inhabit, NY
Hofer pavilion
Treehouse H06
The fincube
Mirror cube treehouse
THE CRAFTSMAN
Uplands treehouse
The treehouse at the lodge on loch goil
Bower treehouse
Bear creek studios
THE THINKER
Outlandia
Writer’s hut on stilts
Wee studio wooden huts
A separate place
THE INSPIRED
Paarman treehouse
Half a treehouse
House in the orchard
Sleipnir spiken
The bird’s nest
Garden treehouse
The dovecote
Acknowledgements and credits
INTRODUCTION
‘Craftsmanship names an enduring, basic human
impulse, the desire to do a job well for its own
sake.’ (Richard Sennett, The Craftsman)
The treehouse is a seemingly contradictory structure that
embodies an intoxicating freedom as well as snug
security. The tangle of the quixotic and the adventurous,
along with independence and safety, is compelling.
Treehouses give us the luxury of our own unique vantage
point but safely cocoon us, too. In reality, the dangers of
predators are rare, be they woodland animals or a
growling cityscape, but we still value the virtue of
perceived safety that this arboreal build provides.
Thrillingly, we can all possess our very own ladder, our
own little journey, and the fantasy of ascending and
descending in our own uniquely formed treehouse haven.
And high up in our treehouse world, we can experience
the feeling that we are not always earthbound. The
inference is that the connection is fragile and we can pull
up the ladder any time we so desire – and chameleon-
like, camouflage or, indeed, physically isolate ourselves
from a chaotic world below.
Occupying the space in a treehouse, albeit fleetingly,
feels both personal and spiritual. Perhaps we are drawn
to it by those qualities that evoke our own inner journey:
the private and puzzling communion between the
conscious and unconscious, our own inner temple and
place of refuge. By allowing this mysterious zone to
surface, we may feel that we can boldly experiment with
the appearance of the structure. We are the temporary
custodians of a small patch of earth and, in the case of
the treehouse dreamer, a little chunk of sky. A treehouse
pioneer is no less ambitious – a stake is placed in the sky
and a trunk is fashioned or found.
The possession of an actual tree and leafy canopy is not a
prerequisite for a treehouse – free-standing structures
on stilts can also perfectly assimilate its qualities. A
treehouse does not necessarily have to be exclusive to
individuals who have the luxury of owning a sturdy
enough and structurally obliging tree. In this collection
of treehouses and their stories, I have not confined
myself to the fairy-tale ‘woodland aesthetic’ but have
tried to be open-minded. An urban treehouse with a
tangled line of rooftops and stilt foundations has as much
authenticity as one that’s enfolded in foliage with a trunk
that will bear our weight. It is not the case that a sleek
and modern build which has drawn inspiration from
every facet of a treehouse, but without the foundation of
a physical tree, is less deserving of our attention. In
many ways, structural engineering solutions have
provided satisfying environmental answers that respect
the tree without necessarily welding ourselves to it and
expecting it to take the strain.

There is also a quiet architectural revolution happening
in which exciting new builds are being photographed
gleefully by amateurs and professionals alike, and ideas
are disseminating rapidly. The attraction of small-scale
builds has exposed a new egalitarianism; they provide a
solid and credible design expression that allows all to be
on the same footing. The spirit of the treehouse
emboldens us further – as we psychologically harness
the unique imprint of a tree skeleton, we allow ourselves
to be experimental and courageous with our design and
not be cajoled into mass-produced uniformity. Equally, a
celebration of the bespoke and natural materials is
raising the profile of the craftsman. The woodworker is
leading the way forward in this respect; a treehouse
project is perhaps the perfect expression, manifestation
and test of his skills and knowledge.
A satisfying line of enquiries emerged as I delved deeper