In some parts of the world treehouses are a practical necessity, as people elevate their homes to protect against scavenging animals or even hostile humans.
The Korowai, a Papuan tribe in the southeast of Irian Jaya, live in the skyscrapers of the treehouse world (pictured below), up to 40 metres high, as protection against a tribe of neighbouring head-hunters, the Citak.
1. Bird's Nest Tree House (Harads, Sweden)
Birds Nest[/caption] Birds Nest Interior[/caption] The Bird’s nest is built on the contrasts between the outside and inside. The treeroom’s exterior is nothing but a gigantic bird’s nest. It gives a camouflage so you quickly disappear and become part of the surroundings.
The interior, on the other hand, is familiar and exclusive. It’s a spacious environment where a family with two children can comfortably spread out. The walls are clad with wood panels and the windows almost disappear in the exterior’s network of branches. The room is 17 sqm and has separate bedrooms, bathroom, and living area. You enter the Bird’s Nest with the help of a retractable staircase.
2. Hemloft Treehouse (Whistler, Canada)
Hemloft Treehouse[/caption]HemLoft is a self-funded secret tree house built by Joel Allen on crown land (government owned) in Whistler, Canada. It hangs on a precipitous slope, in a towering stand of hemlocks, about a five minute walk from the nearest road.
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3. Teahouse Tetsu (Hokuto City, Japan)
Teahouse Tetsu[/caption] Teahouse Tetsu interior[/caption]A Japanese teahouse in a tree by architect Terunobu Fujimori. The inside of it is simple and modern while the outside is pure fantasy. You can find this tree house surrounded by gorgeous cherry blossoms (sakura) at the Kiyoharu Shirakaba Museum.
4. Witch's House (Ibiza, Spain)
Witch's House Ibiza[/caption] Witch's House Interior[/caption]A man on the famous party island off the Spanish mainland built this fairytale treehouse for his supremely lucky young son. An Aleppo pine hosts the magical creation, with round portal windows. The high-lofted house uses locally-sourced materials as well as the work of a local mason. The rustic furnishings inside match those of the building’s exterior, too, rendering the interior aesthetics just as pastoral as the home’s outward appearance.
5. Senior Centre Treehouse (Ghent, Belgium)
Senior Centre Treehouse[/caption]This one is really an artwork but we included it anyway because it looks cool. The sculptural tree house by Benjamin Verdonck was made for the art festival TRACK: A Contemporary City Conversion. It serves as an architectural miniature of the retirement home behind it.
