The Sea Shack as we call it....is a two story tree house with sleeping quarters on the second floor. I've always liked the maple sugar barn look and wanted to incorporate that in my design. In many ways its like a miniature house...complete with kitchen, living area, bathroom, eating area and sleep loft. Also includes a small covered porch. Lights, insulated walls, lots of windows, a wood stove and a ceiling fan make it cozy no matter the season. There is a 7-section 250' wiggly bridge winding thru the forest down to the tree house. For those faint of heart, there is a ladder beneath with trap door access. There's even an escape door in the loft that will soon have a bridge and rope ladder to the ground.
The Meditation Retreat was designed strictly as a meditation escape for a client that truly loves being in the trees and the serenity it affords him. Its a large, 450sf one story structure that sits high above Lake Sunapee. The slope below creates a 20' drop from the deck high in the trees. On the backside, a gentle ramp allows easy access to the unit. Lots of large windows give natural light and air flow. A wood stove and fully insulated floor, roof and walls lets the client utilize his quiet space all year round. Custom made bed, bar and cabinetry make it fully sustainable. An adjoining bathroom with composting toilet reside off the back side. This extraordinarily heavy tree house utilizes 4 large trees and a couple posts. It also has a large deck off the front side. While in winter the structure is well protected by many evergreens, in summer its virtually undetectable hidden in a vast canopy of trees. One particularly special aspect of this project are the railings made of natural sticks and saplings from the nearby woods.
"The Bird House" is a special project because it was my first for Up A Tree and is not really a true tree house. Because the clients did not have adequate trees in which to build, we decided to build it mostly on stilts using a couple trees for additional support and aesthetics. The purpose of this tree house was to provide additional sleeping quarters for visiting family. The main floor has room for a nice day bed that expands. There is also a composting toilet and bathroom. The loft has room for several kids or a couple adults and is naturally lit by a small cupola. A unique aspect of this project is the stairs that lead into the trees connecting to a 12' wiggly bridge that in turn lead to the small covered porch. Situated amongst both large and small trees, this tree house affords amazing views of Pleasant Lake.
The Elkins Kids House is a small 8' x 8', single tree playhouse for some very special grandkids. The client has grandchildren that have an adventurous imagination and a love for playing in the woods. It was built using one large hemlock tree that runs through the center of the structure. Its got a ships ladder that accesses the deck through a trap door. Two half walls are solid while the two spindle walls face the beautiful lake. The special feature of this project is the electric hoist that allows one of the grandkids who utilizes a wheelchair to be raised up to the deck so she can enjoy the tree house along with her siblings. This simple tree fort style playhouse allows the children to use their imaginations and experience adventures only kids can conjure up.
