Tree Houses
5. Kid-Inspired Tree Fort in PennsylvaniaLocation: Quakertown, Pennsylvania (an hour north of Philadelphia)Used as: A playhouse for kidsLocated on a farm, this kid-friendly treehouse is a destination for exploring. To create the structure, the Lewis Brothers contractors used pressure-treated lumber for the structural elements and recycled materials from the owner’s farm for other features, such as corrugated metal sheeting for the roof, leftover shingles for siding and metal livestock gates repurposed as the railing.
O’Brien designed the structure to be as integrated with the landscape as possible — it’s tucked up nearly out of view from the surrounding fields — as well as with the local rural architecture. The treehouse is fully supported by the oak’s massive trunk and large lateral branches. The treehouse is off the grid (no electricity or running water), but insulated walls and double-glazed windows keep it snug. O’Brien says that his clients plan on fitting it out with a bed and are considering using oil lamps to provide light in the evening.
2. Leafy Refuge in the Irish CountrysideLocation: Rural County Louth, Ireland (north of Dublin)Used as: An off-the-grid retreat for a couple and a guest roomPerched among the branches of an oak tree that’s at least 120 years old, this lofty treehouse was built as a simple backyard getaway space for a couple in County Louth, Ireland. “It’s an adult treehouse,” says designer Peter O’Brien of Plan Eden Garden Design. “It’s used as an off-grid [escape] for the clients to get away from the rush of everyday life, and as guest accommodation.”
7. Multilevel Playspace in WashingtonLocation: Spokane Valley, WashingtonUsed as: A playspace for a landscape architect’s daughtersKnowing that his family would be working on the construction of their home in Spokane Valley for a good chunk of the upcoming year, landscape architect Ty Ullman, president of Clearwater Summit Group, decided to first build a treehouse for his daughters, Sierra and McKinley. “I wanted the treehouse in place so that during construction of our future dream home, we would have a place for the kids to hang out for at least a couple hours at a time,” Ullman says.The treehouse, built as a Christmas surprise, took less than two weeks to build after Ullman and a coworker planned it out. To keep costs down, Ullman used reclaimed materials from other jobs, including a sheet of galvanized metal that became the roof.
Q