Tree house architecture is as varied as the trees and areas where they are built. Yet the origins of the tree houses have been focused on three areas ?the South Pacific, the Far East and Southeast Asia. Those who originally built tree houses built them to avoid typhoons, floods, earthquakes and predatory animals. It is […]The post The Tree House Renaissance appeared first on Pursuitist.

Tree house architecture is as varied as the trees and areas where they are built. Yet the origins of the tree houses have been focused on three areas ?the South Pacific, the Far East and Southeast Asia. Those who originally built tree houses built them to avoid typhoons, floods, earthquakes and predatory animals.It is no wonder then that many uniquely architected tree houses are still found in these areas. But now, they are designed not for social avoidance, but for social intimacy ?often providing an above-it-all, numinous experience for those who choose to break the bounds of terra firma, at least for awhile.Yet, designing and building a tree house has unique challenges compared to building a structure that sits on the ground. Because the architect builds on a living entity, the process requires eco-sensitive and sustainable environmental principles: the tree should continue to grow, and the house should be build to withstand bad weather, especially wind, more common at a higher elevation. So when the architect creates a design, he or she is aware that lower tree houses will produce l...