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Tree
Houses
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Remember a tree house from your childhood?
For many of us, our first construction
project was building a tree house in the backyard. These tree houses
were usually built from scrap lumber we found or mooched from
neighbors. Construction began with cross members to support the
floor, and usually consisted of 2x4's and a few handfuls of nails.
Work on the tree house proceeded as additional construction
materials became available, so progress was usually slow, and
occurring in stages.
Once our tree houses were finished (and maybe before) we might have
an overnight camp out in the tree house with our friends. This would
involve packing our flashlights and sleeping bags, as well as some
midnight snacks. What great memories from these camp outs of our
youth!
In a celebration of tree houses, Longwood Gardens hosted a display
of 3 tree houses during the summer of 2008. Even though the
structures weren't attached directly to the surrounding trees, they
were definitely "in" the trees and gave the same appearance of tree
houses of our youth, even though these were professionally built.
Here we share photos of our visit. See if they bring back memories
of your youth, or perhaps a desire for a new tree house in your
future!
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THE TREEHOUSE REIMAGINED
Longwood Gardens -
Nature's Castles
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The Canopy Cathedral |
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Treehouse Workshop
constructed this beautiful tree house |
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Looking up at the huge Tulip Trees |
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Trees were left untouched |
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Pin Foundation supports |
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5-foot long pins were used to minimize
damage to the surrounding tree roots |
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The Birdhouse |
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Massive tree trunk extending up through
the tree house's roof. The 2x8's came from a dismantled warehouse in
Vancouver, British Columbia. |
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Unique railing constructed from various
tree trunks or branches by Treehouse Workshop |
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Wooden bench contrasted by Douglas Fir
flooring reclaimed from a dismantled factory in Toronto, Canada |
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The Lookout Loft |
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Forever Young built this ADA compliant treehouse at Longwood Gardens |
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Three tree trunks rise through the roof |
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Quality craftsmanship is evident
throughout the treehouse |
MORE
Longwood Gardens homepage
Tree trimming
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