Now that's a tree house
They are fairytale castles in the air, the structures of childhood fantasy taken to their most dazzling, exotic extreme. There is, of course, nothing new about living in the trees. As Philip Jodidio explains in his new book, Tree Houses, about these remarkable structures, ‘The idea of the “tree of life” has run through religion, philosophy and mythology since the earliest times, from ancient Egypt to China.’ Our very earliest ancestors even called the trees home.
Left: This tree house in New York by Michael Ince, is like a bird’s nest for humans. Right: Free Spirit Spheres in Qualicum Bay, Canada, co-exist with the natural habitat and sway in the breeze
Pliny the Elder wrote of how the Roman Emperor Caligula hosted a banquet in a tree and British traveller Fynes Moryson wrote in the 16th century of a Swiss tree house with running water.
The Lake House in São Paulo, Brazil, by Casa na Arvore
It was in the 19th century, however, that tree houses really found their footing in the popular consciousness. The 1812 novel, Der Schweizrische Robinson (Swiss Family Robinson), by Johann David Wyss, featured a whole family living up a tree, and it wasn’t long before every child dreamt of a ‘castle in the air’.
Left: A child’s play house wrapped around a tree in Toronto, by Nicko Björn Elliott. Right: Teahouse Tetsu by Terunobu Fujimori, in the garden of the Kiyoharu Shirakaba Museum in Japan, is used for tea ceremonies and for viewing the cherry blossom
But tree houses have now entered a whole new, exciting phase. Growing interest in ecologically responsible and sustainable housing has encouraged more and more people to push the boundaries of these structures – and many specialist companies have emerged to cater to their needs. The seemingly impossible is becoming possible, dreams are becoming reality, and the results, as Jodidio’s book so dramatically reveals, can be truly mind-blowing.
Hapuku Lodge tree houses in New Zealand, supported by steel girders, rise above the manuka trees
There are now restaurants in trees and hotels in trees, many combining traditional techniques and materials with the very latest technological innovations. And we can expect even more spectacular structures in the future. As Jodidio says, the goal of many designers now is ‘to perpetuate the fairytale image that tree houses easily incarnate’. This really is about aiming for the sky.
Left: In Irian Jaya, Indonesia, tribes still build houses 40 metres above ground to escape pests and tribal rivalry. Right: Tree Houses by Philip Jodidio
Tree Houses: Fairy Tale Castles In The Air by Philip Jodidio, with illustrations by Patrick Hruby, is published by Taschen, priced £44.99.
Left: This tree house in New York by Michael Ince, is like a bird’s nest for humans. Right: Free Spirit Spheres in Qualicum Bay, Canada, co-exist with the natural habitat and sway in the breezePliny the Elder wrote of how the Roman Emperor Caligula hosted a banquet in a tree and British traveller Fynes Moryson wrote in the 16th century of a Swiss tree house with running water.
The Lake House in São Paulo, Brazil, by Casa na ArvoreIt was in the 19th century, however, that tree houses really found their footing in the popular consciousness. The 1812 novel, Der Schweizrische Robinson (Swiss Family Robinson), by Johann David Wyss, featured a whole family living up a tree, and it wasn’t long before every child dreamt of a ‘castle in the air’.
Left: A child’s play house wrapped around a tree in Toronto, by Nicko Björn Elliott. Right: Teahouse Tetsu by Terunobu Fujimori, in the garden of the Kiyoharu Shirakaba Museum in Japan, is used for tea ceremonies and for viewing the cherry blossomBut tree houses have now entered a whole new, exciting phase. Growing interest in ecologically responsible and sustainable housing has encouraged more and more people to push the boundaries of these structures – and many specialist companies have emerged to cater to their needs. The seemingly impossible is becoming possible, dreams are becoming reality, and the results, as Jodidio’s book so dramatically reveals, can be truly mind-blowing.
Hapuku Lodge tree houses in New Zealand, supported by steel girders, rise above the manuka treesThere are now restaurants in trees and hotels in trees, many combining traditional techniques and materials with the very latest technological innovations. And we can expect even more spectacular structures in the future. As Jodidio says, the goal of many designers now is ‘to perpetuate the fairytale image that tree houses easily incarnate’. This really is about aiming for the sky.
Left: In Irian Jaya, Indonesia, tribes still build houses 40 metres above ground to escape pests and tribal rivalry. Right: Tree Houses by Philip JodidioTree Houses: Fairy Tale Castles In The Air by Philip Jodidio, with illustrations by Patrick Hruby, is published by Taschen, priced £44.99.