My Unsual Material

  My Unusual Material
Emily Bickford
ID: 3311 Texas Tech University

            When you would normally think of having your trees on the outside of your house, what if you were actually inside one of those trees? Many think that only animals can live in trees and nature, but they are wrong. One of the many unusual building materials seen part of the design of homes are homes made out of trees. Not only is nature on the exterior but now incorporated on the interior. The many types of tree houses have extended the design and creativity going into building your home.                  

            One type of the many popular tree houses is the Vietnamese tree house. The Vietnamese tree house uses many of the nature elements that draw in many tourists and guests from around the world. Something I found very interesting was that you had to have permission to build a house like this one. For one example of these Vietnamese tree houses, it is used for guests to stay in the rooms overnight. To build many of these tree houses the builder goes to many extents to succeed the vision they had in mind. Saving many of the 400 plus year old trees, many suspend platforms that currently constitute the tallest “tree house”. Taking it to the next level, linking many of the trees are not only saving the natural environment, but providing more habitats.

            Growing it yourself has been another popular choice when building a tree house. A creative concept will develop and direct the growth over a period of time. The roots, vines, and trees provide flexible framework that extend these creative designs. Going green is becoming another one of the required elements when thinking of designing somewhere to live. Going green is cost savings and makes a much healthier living environment. Today many of the consumer and buyers are also demanding more green products and services. A go green home reduces pollution, conserves natural resources, contribute to the conservation of forests and wildlife, and help maintain the ecological balance on the earth. This makes all living being can survive and thrive in their natural habitats.  

            As the tree house becomes more and more popular, thriving ideas of living arrangements develop. This unusual building material is benefitting the one living there and the environment as well. With the several different types of tree houses incorporating the exterior into the interior, even though they all have something different about them they share the benefits and creativity. Tree houses are very inventive and unusual but have made our design world interesting and growing more as time goes on.