25 Unbelievable Treehouses

If you’re reading this, you were probably that kid.  That kid who grew up in the hilly forests of West Virginia or in the frigid woods of Massachusetts.  That kid who spent his youth making forts in the backwater swamps of Georgia or sliding through a pile of Maple leaves in Maine.   Or maybe you’re none of these.  Maybe you’re that city kid who always wished he could race up the side of a giant sequoia tree or get lost in a stack of pine needles in the Great Pine Barrens.  Needless to say (no pun intended), you like trees.  And, most importantly, you like treehouses.

For that kid still inside you, assembled here is a collection of the 25 most unbelievable treehouses—in the world.

25. The Lantern House—Santa Monica, CA

Balanced among three eucalyptus trees and made entirely of salvaged lumber and reclaimed metals, the lantern house is one of the most ecofriendly tree houses in our list.  Its creator, Roderick Romero, once built a tree house in Italy for rock star Sting.

24. Greenwich Village Tree House—New York City, NY

The Greenwich Village Treehouse pulls heavily from the classic treehouse style and—ironically—fits well within this iconic NYC neighborhood.  The artist, Melinda Hackett, battled famously to keep this tree house from being destroyed.  In 2010, it was declared a landmark.

23. The Unknown

Don’t know much about this one, just looks pretty cool.

22. Kadir’s Treehouse—Olympos, Turkey

This group of treehouses not only offers a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean coast, they also are supremely functional.  Great idea for a destination vacation.

21.  Alnwick Garden Treehouse—UK

Massive.  Truly massive.

20. Temple of the Blue Moon—Fall City, Wahsington

Set 30 ft. above the forest floor, the Temple of the Blue Moon is a testament to the power of simplistic.  Classic log cabin look.  Cedar wood.  Beautiful.

19. Finca Bellavista—Costa Rica

A treasure hidden in the forest, the Finca Bellavista is a community of treehouses (24 in total) sits high in the trees, overlooking the Golgo Dulce and two white water rivers.  Catch a zip line to the top.

18. Baumraum Treehouse—Germany

Designed by German firm Baumraum, this design is more New York loft than treehouse.  The only thing it needs is a granite countertop and a few stainless steel appliances.

17. Crazy Banyan Treehouse Café–Japan

Although this café is really a tree (it’s made from concrete), it still inspires awe through its crazy design.

16.  The Driftwood Egg Treehouse—Hokkaido, Japan

In the frigid corners of Japan’s most northern corner sits a Takashi Kobayash desgined treehouse, The Driftwood Egg Treehouse.  This treehouse was pieced together by delicate driftwood from a nearby beach.  It was originally made for a Nescafe television commercial.

15. Banyan Treehouse—Los Angeles, CA

This contemporary stylized treehouse sits in the Nichol’s Canyon in Los Angeles, CA.

14. Too High Tea House—Chino, Japan

Aptly named, the Too High TeaHouse teeters atop three chestnut trees in the Nagano Prefecture district of Japan.  Designed by Terunobu Fujimori.

13. Treehouse at Burning Man– Nevada

Never been to burning man, but would love to live in this treehouse.  For the futuristic kid in you.

12. 02Sustainable Treehouse–California

Sustainable and futuristic, this the sustainable 02 treehouse is made entirely from recycled materials and is suspended (rather than bolted) to the trees around it.  This treehouse is the most environmentally friendly.  And, if you couldn’t tell by the pictures, it glows in the dark.  Pretty cool.

11. Tree Dwellers—Brazil

Not all treehouses need to be avante garde.  Some inspire awe by how high they are.  In this case, the tree dwellers, built by local tribes in the Brazza River Basin, sit up to 100 ft above the jungle floor.

10. Secret Garden Treehouse—Seattle

This treehouse has a beach front design.  It’s breezy and open and quiet; designed by a young music industry star who wanted a quiet retreat.

9. The Biosphere treehouse—Oahu, HA

This seven treehouse sits seven stories above the floor, towering over the Manoa Valley of Oahu.  It comes equipped with a handing bridge, transparent roof, and a compositing toilet.  It’s the perfect fun land for that kid deep inside.

8. Peter Frazier’s Treetop Office

Peter Frazier was like many computer science students, he sat at the computer all day and started to get fat.  To make this more bearable, he commissioned a team to build him an office surrounded by trees.

7. Pat and Lori’s Treehouse.—Washington St

Another Pete Nelson treehouse.  Built in western Washington state, it was designed for a client who has a affinity for bridges.  The span was installed by Sahale Bridge Builders.

6. Horace Cathedral—Crossville, Tennessee

Using wood reclaimed from five barns, Horace Burgess started working on this masterpiece nearly 20 years ago.  And he is still at work, adding new sections here and there.  It even has a basketball court.

5.  Beach Rock treehouse—Okinawa, Japan

Japan has yet another treehouse atop the leader board.  Staged against the beautiful backdrop of the Okinawa forest, the Beach Rock treehouse is a popular stopover for young Japanese backpackers.  It inspires freedom and survival, having weathered a typhoon in 2006.  It was designed by Kobayashi Takashi, author of “Treedom: The Road to Freedom.”

4. Hang Nga’s treehouse–Vietnam

Entirely unconventional in style, this Vietnamese treehouse draws tourists and guest from around the world.  This tree house is the tree itself and inspires an “Alice in Wonderland” type feel.  It’s named after it’s builder, Hang Viet Nga, the daughter of an ex-president and student of a famed art school in Moscow.

3. Redwoods Treehouse Restaurant—Auckland, New Zealand

Located on the edge of a redwodd forest, this treehouse is a magicial romp of nature and function.  It was built by Pacific Environment Architects, and was part of a marketing campaign for the Yellow Pages.

2. Free Spirit Spheres—Vancouver Island, Canada

Set among the tallest trees of the west coast rainforest in Vancouver Island, the Free Spirit Spheres represent true peace and tranquility.  They are suspended like pendants from a web of rope and occupy a unique space in the rainforest canopy.  Relax in serene meditation in your own sphere.  They’re available for overnight rental.

1. 4Treehouse—Ontario, Canada

Designed by University of Toronto’s School of Architecture & Design masters graduate student, Lukasz Kos, this treehouse borrows its style from Japan.  It looks like a Japanese lantern and floats on stilts in a lush forest in Ontario, Canada.  It uses a well thought out lighting design, illuminating both the house and the surrounding area—just like a lantern.  It. Is. Amazing.  Bring back the kid inside of you.  Book a stay at one of these awe inspiring treehouses.

Alex Levin is a writer for Granite Transformations, a national kitchen and bath remodeling company committed to promoting eco-friendly remodeling.

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