Log Tree House Made of Posts

Log Tree House Made of Posts

I found this image on flickr and thougt it would make a nice posting.

I like the feel of the design -- the rounded posts used throughout the building for supports, walls, and window frames.

It is a good example of stylistic consistency and how the use of a basic building material -- round posts -- in many different ways can create a cohesive and attractive design.

It reminds me of a log house, or log tree house, and that makes it kinda warm and rustic. And there is something about the incorporation of the branches and plants in the window box that add to the visual appeal.

My critique of this tree house is that a small hex floor plan around a large trunk is often not very practical. It'll leak where the roof meets the tree and the interior space is a narrow ring unable to accommodate funiture.

A hexagon floor with knee braces is often used in conjunction with single tree installations; however, this version also has support posts to the ground. Some people prefer this method because the tree can remain free standing and the house does not contact it, nor damage it, with support hardware. But, if one opts to use posts, then it does not make sense to have the tree pass through the centre of the floor. Instead, use the advantage to make the floor plan as open and usable as possible, and position the tree at the edge outside by the deck.

In my opinion, however, posts in general detract from the true intention of a treehouse. They are visually bulky and limit the height that the house can be positioned. Also, they can create other wearing problems when the tree moves independent of the structure. This tree house design is nicely centred around the single trunk and would be well suited to weight bearing knee brace supports. When you let the solid tree trunk support the weight little posts are kinda redundant.

Overall, I really like the idea of a log treehouse and the stylistic use of posts throughout the design. I'd prefer to see these themes continued in a way that perches the home in the tree and makes it more integrated with the living structure. And, if your going to build a treehouse, make it functional with a more practical floor space and capability to keep the weather out in order to extend your ability to enjoy it more throughout the year.

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