If you haven’t experienced it yet, the time is now. Learn how to build a treehouse and why they are completely awesome.

Adults and kids are both enamored with treehouses. Who among us didn’t secretly long for our our tree topped fort/clubhouse as a kid? And can you really say that desire has diminished now that you are grown up? Of course, as adults we dream of a calming, soothing tree-topped oasis complete with hammocks and a mini fridge full of gin and tonics and margaritas (tree house hotel, anyone?).

Image: Caelie_Frampton

Well, it’s never too late to make that dream a reality. For those of you who are lucky enough to have a backyard full of luscious, strong and healthy trees, why not make it your springtime project to build a great tree house? You can say it’s for the kids, but we will really know that it’s for you, too.

Image: Bohman

There are 4 considerations before you can even get started with your project.

• It’s probably a good idea to have an expert take a look at your trees–you want to make sure that the tree you want to use as your foundation is healthy (and will remain so) and can hold the weight of the structure you want to erect.
• Another consideration: will you need a building permit? I know it might seem like a silly idea to get a building permit for a treehouse, but it’s a good idea to follow all local laws and regulations whenever constructing any structures on your property.
• In that same vein, give a call to your homeowner’s insurance as well. If your house among the trees falls on your house or there is an accident with someone (or you) falling, you want to make sure that you are covered.
• Finally, if you are building a treehouse for children, make it low to the ground 5-7 feet off the ground is high enough for kids to get the experience without adding unnecessary risk.

Image: PhotKing ♛

The next step is to find your plans. Here are some great tutorials and plans for how to build a treehouse.

1. Cabin Style Treehouse – this project utilizes several trees as the foundation.
2. Kid-friendly Treehouse – a simple, kid-friendly treehouse how-to.
3. Family Handyman – building tips and advice for attaching and furnishing your treehouse.
4. Treeless Treehouse – don’t have any trees? Here are tips for building a treeless treehouse.
5. Inexpensive Treehouse – here’s a project that costs under $300 and even has a cool hatch-like door.
6. A-frame Treehouse – plans for building an a-frame style house.
7. Grown-up Treehouse – gorgeous inspiration for creating a grown-up treehouse.

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Top Image: mollystevens

The post How to Build a Treehouse (Because They’re Basically the Coolest Houses Ever) appeared first on EcoSalon.

The Treehotel in Sweden features unique, futuristic camp sites.

Imagine the scene: you’re walking through a forest in northern Sweden, when suddenly you come upon a collection of bizarre objects suspended from trees: a mirrored cube, a UFO, a giant bird’s nest. Have you been abducted into a Dadaistic art installation?

Relax, it’s n0t a flashback to a youthful overindulgence of banned substances, a sojourn through William S. Burroughs’ Interzone or even a Trekkie bootcamp. It’s a 21st century designer eco-hotel-camp called Treehotel.

Treehotel’s green credentials are exactly as you’d expect for a Swedish hotel set in a forest: renewable energy provided by hydroelectric power from the nearby river, LED lighting and water-efficient sinks, and combustion toilets. In most units, waste is heat-blasted at 600C; in the Mirrorcube, your poop gets frozen, while the heat from the freezer’s element is used to heat the room in winter. Dead smart, those Swedes.

The five “treerooms,” designed by leading Scandinavian architects, are all different inside as well as out, with simple furnishings. The UFO, accessed by a ladder underneath has spacey print fabrics, while the ultra-realistic Bird’s Nest is circular with tiny round windows in its pale wood walls. The Cabin is much more conventional, but also larger – a rectangular box with huge windows and an outdoor deck, while the Blue Cone overlooks the river.

The Mirrorcube is like a live work of art. Its outer surfaces show constantly changing images of trees and sky, which you can appreciate from a roof terrace, a more zen alternative to watching TV. Another building houses a sauna and hot tub (this is Sweden, after all). The bad news: this is also where the showers are located, since none of the treehouses has its own tub or shower. This is the Swedish idea of glamping: fab interiors offset outdoor plumbing.

Meals are served, and guests greeted, in a guesthouse run by one of the owners named Britta.

Rates from $573, including tax, breakfast and unbeatable dinner table stories.

Photos: Peter Lundstrom, WDO; Frank Updates via Harper’s Bazaar

The post Places & Spaces: Treehotel, Sweden appeared first on EcoSalon.

After a quick snack, it was out the door on our bikes or roller skates or skate boards, not to return until the sun was setting. We built forts, climbed trees, played tether ball; we enjoyed the fresh air and freedom for the three hours between school and dusk when our mothers had to drag us inside by our shirt sleeves.

Our fun was finagled out of nothing other than ourselves and, well, dirt and trees.

Climbing trees wasn’t just a boy thing, or maybe it was but I didn’t notice. I liked hanging out up high and watching the world go by below.

Tree houses are iconic. They hold memories of a time gone by, of our childhoods and our children. And nostalgia is intoxicating.

Up, above and away from it all, the tree house offers a natural, peaceful, secluded and special-like-no-other place to relax and contemplate nothing. So when I heard about a hotel of tree houses in Sweden, I needed to know more.

Located 60 km (approx 37 miles) south of the Arctic Circle and just outside the Swedish town of Harads, Treehotel opened this past July to rave reviews. At the time, only four structures were completed, but as of October 2010, there are seven uniquely themed structures – six “rooms” and one Tree Sauna (drawing above).

The project was inspired by the 2008 documentary “Tree Lover” (Trädälskaren):

“…the story of three men from the urban environment who look to get back to their roots by building a tree house together. It is a philosophical film about what “the tree” means to us humans, both historically and culturally.”

Each structure is completely distinct and designed by a different Swedish architect. Each sleeps 2-4 and the sauna holds up to 12 comfortably. Powered by sustainable electricity and equipped with freezer or “incinerator” toilets, they’re attached to the pine trees via an adjustable metal clamp that won’t harm the trees as they grow. I love that part!

The concept and construction are intended to allow for expansion and increased innovations in sustainability. It’s truly an inspired and inspiring spot that I’d love to visit. The Swedish should be proud of this forest retreat.

I could go on for days about each individual house but the gist is this – hip, slick, cool, green, peaceful, respectful, secluded. Now let’s have a closer look at a few of the finest…

The Blue Cone (image above) is a simple, wood constructed two-story cabin colored in red that looks lego-like in its structure and texture.

The Bird’s Nest (image above) is a more complex 3-legged structure that is accessed via a retractable staircase (I really want to walk that staircase!). Its twiggy exterior contrasts distinctly with the modern, minimal design on the interior.

There aren’t words for The Mirrorcube (image above). It’s a lightweight aluminum structure covered with mirrored glass. Kind of unbelievable if you ask me.

And especially remarkable when the interior (image below) is pure plywood with views that go on forever. Dwellers reach the Mirrorcube via a rope bridge.

The Cabin (image above) is another odd looking creature that seems to jut out from the middle of nowhere and sit comfortably amongst the trees. The room is accessed via a footbridge that opens onto a large deck at roof level.

Would you believe me if I told you there were spaceship sightings in Sweden? The UFO (image above) is a newer structure that the creators envisioned would “…have a huge appeal for people with fertile imagination.” You think?

I’m wondering what they’ll come up with next. Clearly, the sky (or tree) is the limit.

The price per night varies depending on which structure you decide to inhabit, but the range is around $600 per night, which includes breakfast. Not your Euro Youth Hostel situation.

But worth its weight in sustainability and 360 degree views, for sure. The Swedish countryside and forest is so spectacular and austere; pure and still. Imagine resting inside one of these rooms and looking out at the trees and water and vastness. Wow.

And of course, the peace of mind, tranquility, silence and relaxation are all free of charge.

Top Images: emdot, Design Squish

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