Lush towering trees with widespread branches often bring back memories associated with childhood. A quick climb to safety, away from all earthly problems, moving closer to the vast blue skies, sharing space among birds, monkeys and insects is a refreshing change from routine life. It really doesn’t matter if you’re a child or an adult for tree houses offer a different experience, be it basic tree top wooden cabins or the more elaborately designed works of art made from a combination of metal, glass and wood. Here are some of the best towering tree houses that showcase design trends and are functional as well.
Reverend Burgess’ tree house, Tennessee
Spread across 6 fully grown trees, this 10-storeyed structure built by Reverend Burgess is believed to be one of the largest tree houses in the world. The 100-foot tree house in Crossville, Tennessee, was constructed using reclaimed wood over a period of 15 years, at a cost of approximately $12,000.
Enchanted Forest tree house, British Columbia
The Enchanted Forest located within the thick woods in British Columbia houses a theme park right out of a fairytale. You can walk along winding trails, dotted with castles and fairy figurines, boardwalks and behold! the tallest tree house in British Columbia. Built amidst dense forest, the tree house is supported by wooden beams and can be accessed via a spiral stairway that winds around the trees’ trunks.
Lord Northumberland’s tree house, Scotland
This tree house from the Treehouse Company, costing $7 million, was built at Alnwick Gardens in 2006 specifically for Lord Northumberland of Scotland. Spanning across 16 lime trees, the structures houses a fully equipped 120-seater restaurant, including special access for the disabled. The Scottish tree house also figures among the largest tree houses in the world.
Sky High tree house, Saleve Mountain, France
Located almost close to the top of a 130-foot Austrian pine, the Sky High tree house at Saleve Mountain in France, offers a breathtaking view of Lake Geneva. This high structure is supported by a hidden ring-shaped base and can be accessed using a spiral stairway winding up to 70 feet above the ground.
Pharrell Williams’ eco tree house concept
This concept tree house has been designed to house a youth center amidst a verdant forest. Envisioned by architect Chad Oppenheim for Rapper Pharrell Williams, the Pharrell Williams Resource Center structure to be located in Virginia Beach, will span across 30,000 square feet and will comprise three units built in a contemporary style
Spiral House, Rambouillet Forest, France
Set in the deep Rambouillet Forest in France, the Spiral House tree house structure is a simple tree top cabin with a tall spiral stairway.
Nussraum, Dusseldorf, Germany
This modular Nussraum tree house structure in Dusseldorf is the handiwork of Baumraum, a modern tree house specialist company from Germany. The unit can be either mounted on a tree or stand alone on stainless steel support when placed on stable ground. Nussraum, meaning ‘Walnut Room’, is indicative of the walnut wood used to build the structure.
Takashi Kobayashi tree house
Built by Takashi Kobayashi, a leading tree house designer from Japan, this functional yet old-fashioned tree house roughly mimics a bird’s nest in appearance. It can be accessed through a spiral staircase modeled around the tree trunk.
Lifepod by Kyu Che Studio
Looking for a hammock-like tree house, suspended way above the ground? Then check out the Lifepod from Kyu Che Studio. This prefabricated mobile model can be shipped across the world within a 40-foot container. All you need to do is find a camp location and install the structure at a comfortable height.
Traditional tree house
This traditional tree house skillfully placed on a simple supporting structure has been manually constructed by a tea master in Japan without professional help. Built using wood from a nearby forest, this seemingly precarious structure is being used as a tea house.