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Most Amazing Tree Houses around the World
Tree houses, treehouses, or tree forts, are platforms or buildings constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, observation or as temporary retreats.
Tree houses are buildings constructed among the branches or next to the trunk of one or more mature trees, and are raised above the ground. Tree houses can be built for recreation or permanent habitation. Generally, the term “tree fort” is used only for recreational structures and not permanent homes.
In some parts of the tropics, houses are either fastened to trees or elevated on stilts to keep the living quarters above the ground to protect occupants and stored food from scavenging animals. The Korowai, a Papuan tribe in the southeast of Irian Jaya, live in tree houses, some nearly 40 metres (130 ft) high, as protection against a tribe of neighbouring head-hunters, the Citak.
Tree houses are an option for building eco-friendly houses in remote forest areas, because they do not require a clearing of a certain area of forest. The wildlife, climate and illumination on ground level in areas of dense close-canopy forest is not well suited for human habitation.
Tree houses can be built with a wide range of materials. Wood is commonly used for structural parts and cladding due to its strength, light weight and low cost. Steel is used for brackets, cables and bolts, including specialized tree bolts capable of supporting up to 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg). Builders of tree houses sometimes use recycled materials or parts, such as reclaimed window frames, doors and used lumber. One motivation for this is to promote sustainability by re-using resources. Reclaiming materials can also save money compared with buying new materials and can add a retro or abstract style to the design of the structure. Fabrics can be used to produce non-rigid temporary structures that are more like tree tents than tree houses.
Amazing tree houses aren’t just for children anymore – in fact, some are so well made and carefully detailed, they rival most people’s homes. The artistry and innovation put into some tree house designs and plans elevates them from fun getaways to architectural wonders. They arere located all over the world, from just north of NYC to the rain forests of Costa Rica. These fifteen incredible tree houses might just make you want to leave your own home for a loftier living space.
