BY: MATTHEW CHIN

As a child growing up in the suburbs, a treehouse was only a distant fantasy since most trees would be next to a nearby road or in government-owned parks. I would watch shows like Arthur, red with jealousy that he and his best friends got to live out their best times in a treehouse. Treehouses combine the playful imagination of a child with a deep-rooted connection to nature since most treehouses are found in a forest—living in one would be the dream.

Flash forward a decade later, that distant fantasy is a reality. In Hertfordshire, England, a family is reconnecting with nature, living in a custom-made treehouse in the middle of a forest. The home has two separate lofts connected by rope bridges that weave through the trees. The main loft has the basic living necessities, including a kitchen and bathroom. Made entirely out of wood, the interior creates a similar vibe to being inside the trunk of a tree.

To enter the second loft nicknamed “the fairytale children’s house,” one must climb through the secret trapdoor located below the house.

The Children’s Tree House is built to reference medieval architecture

Both lofts have extra rooms that can be converted into anything from bedrooms to art studios, and where clothing is optional because hey—you don’t have neighbours. To leave the house, you can take a ladder or zip line down a 70 metre-long wire through the thick brush right to a hiking trail.

The design is meant to capture the imagination of a child, but the practicality of an adult. Living in the treehouse replaces the heavy rumble of urban streets with bird calls and wildlife.

The home was designed by Blue Forest, a construction company specializing in designing and constructing unique, and sustainable treehouses, calling this design “An interesting fusion of safari lodge treehouse design and a kind of idealized medieval fantasy.”

A treehouse can make a grown man, or an 8-year-old, brim with excitement much more than any mansion or regular home ever could. The attractiveness of the treehouse is the inherent joy of reconnecting with nature. There isn’t a traditional layout or design of a home, leaving living space open for imagination. In a treehouse, the forest unleashes the spirit of adventure, letting creativity lead the way. With sunrise being your alarm clock and your morning commute involving a zip line, the ultimate home is not on the ground, but in the trees.

The complex is connected by a series of rope bridges.

The adult dwelling is composed of a kitchen, bathroom, and large living area.

A secret hatch leads to a game room in the upper story of the children’s treehouse.

The pointed roofs create extremely high ceilings.

The adult dwelling features a lower roof.

A tree reaches right through the middle of the living room.

The adult dwelling even has a large room with a bar to accommodate parties.

Source: designboom.com