John Harris, the author of this collection of world-class treehouses, heads a treehouse construction firm based in Scotland called "The TreeHouse Company." Over the past five years Harris' crews have designed and constructed over 500 treehouses ranging from Wick in northern Scotland through to Zambia in Africa and from the Far East of Russia to Mustique in the Caribbean.
"Treehouses can be found in the most unexpected and secret places on Earth," Harris points out. "I've been told of a hollowed out tree that was used as a ticket office on Britain's Great Western Railway last century; of a cyber cafe found two hours from civilization in Southern Turkey, high in the treetops; of an oak tree fused with a church in Normandy called 'Le Chene Classe,' that has been used as a chapel for over 800 years. Treehouses are never far away -- ask around. There's probably one in your town, hidden above your head amid the leaves."
Harris' book is an inspiration to anyone who has built or dreamed of building a treehouse. It profiles 22 uniquely designed treehouses in detail, from a simple "Apple Treehouse" playroom for children to a two-storied "Treehouse in France" spread across a number of trees, as well as a cozy "Red Office Treehouse," a "Treehouse Study," a festive dining room in the sky complete with a full kitchen, and a "Conference Treehouse" complex.
The book's introduction traces the long history of treehouses from Emperor Caligula's "Eyrie," where guests were entertained by jugglers and acrobats, to the world's largest treehouse complex now under construction in Northhumberland, England.
Detailed case studies of the 22 featured treehouses include specifics on the design and construction of each structure, explaining the steps builders took to conserve the host tree and how it is suited to the structure. Materials used in construction are listed.
The final chapters explain how to build a treehouse, detailing an actual treehouse construction project by The TreeHouse Company. Step-by-step instructions for building a treehouse are included.
"The best shaped trees for treehouse construction are those that resemble an upturned palm, as these have a natural space in the crown of the tree for holding the body of the treehouse," Harris explains. "The best varieties of European tree that The TreeHouse Company most commonly build in are beech, oak, ash, chestnut, sycamore, lime, and larger pines and spruces, however most species of tree will be capable of holding a treehouse. Whatever type of tree you choose, remember that it must be semi-mature or mature and in good health."
