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For most of us, the sturdy tree house is a reminder of carefree childhood days when we clambered up branches and spied on Mrs Higgings next door -- or (in reality) gazed enviously over the fence at the tree palace owned by the spoilt kid next door. Now tree houses are back and increasingly being used as main homes, holiday getaways and even meditation retreats -- taking eco-friendly building to the extreme. Innovative designers are creating tree houses that live and 'breathe,' like the Fab Tree Hab. It uses high-tech computer modelling and ancient techniques like pleaching, which weaves together living branches and trunks to create walls and ceilings.
A closer look at the Fab Tree Hab's design shows that the structure both feeds and is fed by its natural surroundings. It has walls woven from vines, soy-based plastic windows, rammed earth and tile flooring, plus solar hot-water heating, which warms the house through radiator-like floor pipes.
This image shows how a Fab Tree Hab home could grow from saplings to full-fledged dwellings -- now that's what you call truly organic architecture.
Photo: Mitchell Joachim, Terreform
Eco-innovator, Konstantin Kirsch, also believes that living trees can make ideal building materials. He planted a "treedome" in 1992 using two tree species (from the Sorbus family). But what about enough space for the whole family, you ask? No problem -- larger buildings could be built by planting small rooms near to each other and encouraging them to grow together. In theory, people living in such a structure could use its wastewater and compost to feed the roots of trees, helping the walls and roof to grow. There would be health benefits too, such as fresh air from the oxygen given off by the trees, which (as we all know from those fascinating science lessons at school) absorb the carbon we exhale.
If you're more into housing that looks like something out of a sci-fi film then take a look at this dome, perched in an olive tree in a Spanish eco village [website in Spanish, click flag for English translation]. It uses natural pine, cork and clay as building materials for construction and, like the Fab Tree Hab, combines a geodesic (or almost spherical) dome form with a sustainable ethos.
Photo: Valle de Sensaciones
Or how about this conceptual tree house from London design firm Sybarite? Its futuristic, wind-powered structure peeks above the treetops, looking every bit like a spaceship. The materials used in the modular, off-the-grid structure are meant to be recyclable, too. Although none have been built yet, each Sybarite tree house with up to five bedrooms would cost about £920 per square metre, including construction taking about two weeks. The company also licenses its plans for a fee. How's that for a solution to the UK housing crisis?
Photo: Sybarite
Another ingenious creation takes the shape of a spherical room, suspended from several trees by a web of rope. It follows the principles of biomimicry, which is basically using forms found in nature as inspiration for man-made designs. The sphere's inherent strength can withstand the impact of falling branches and the structure is non-invasive -- nothing penetrates the bark of the trees (which provide the foundation) and nothing touches the ground. People enter through a spiral staircase and suspension bridge.
This whimsically-named Free Spirit Sphere was created by Tom Chudleigh of British Columbia as a meditation space. He aims to build 20 more spheres using fibreglass rather than wood, and hang them in ancient woodland. Each sphere can be installed within four days and removed in one day with a crew of several people.
Photo: Tom Chudleigh, Free Spirit Spheres Inc.
Moving Down Under, Australian architect Andrew Maynard has dreamed up Styx tree houses, named for an endangered Tasmanian forest where the world's tallest hardwood trees live. In 2003, activists squatted in structures similar to these -- dubbed Global Rescue Stations -- to prevent clear cutting. The structure shown is a prototype of a model that's supported by three trees rather than one.
Photo: Andrew Maynard
In another tree-top protest, activist Julia Butterfly Hill became famous while living in a tree for 738 days to save Luna, a 1,000-year-old Northern California Redwood, from logging. The tree now stands in a protected zone. Last year, actress Daryl Hannah camped out in a South Central Los Angeles walnut tree for three weeks in a bid to prevent the destruction of a nearby farm, which was eventually ordered to be bulldozed by the landlord. Better luck next time, Daryl.
Last, but not least, are Hooch tree houses. Although ideal for the tropics, they can be built as summer getaways even in climates with cold winters. The tiny foundation is a single pole, which allows for easy dismantling if the house needs to be moved. Made from Douglas fir remnants from lumber plantations, the pole is secured to the trees by cables. Fast-growing bamboo makes up most of the structure. Other green options include solar electricity and hot water in addition to a composting toilet. Users of Google Earth and SketchUp software can even play with models of a Hooch house online. Let the tree building begin!
Photo: Jo Scheer, Island Ambiance
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