Unusual Treehouse with Sauna

Client Profile:

Luke is a fun loving 3 year old, favourite hobbies are riding his tricycle and strumming the guitar. He loves the outdoors and commissioned me to build a ecologically correct Treehouse.

The project:

Create an unusual shaped tree house using all local materials that will withstand the local weather conditions, age beautifully and inspire both young and old.

This space is also going to be used by adults as a Sauna.
The project has started… here are some notes from my diary and take a first “glimpse”.

March 2010: We got ourselves a tree

It is a limb of a 150 year old beech tree, it fell down at my sister‘ s house (thanks Julie and Pat!), and dug it into the ground as there was no suitable tree on the grounds

April 2010: Treehouse – It’s taking crazy shape!

The treehouse is being shaped and assembled in the workshop to allow me to work in the evenings and in the dry. When the frame is complete it will be disassembled and put together around the tree. The material is Leitrim Larch both for the frame and the exterior cladding this should be long lasting and when weathered turns a beautiful silvery grey.

May 2010 – Let’s assemble it!

The frame is bolted together and resting on top of some left over oak railway sleepers which are bolted around the tree. Strong Manpower needed to get it up – THANKS KIERAN! and Luke of course – carrying the “responsibility” :)

June 2010 – Taking Shape – The “COVER UP”

The outside is covered with left over/collected VAPER barrier and the joints are sealed. It’s been counter battended with 2×2 larch battens. The two windows are installed and are made from old office desks ie. 10 mm safety glass.

Let’s heat her up! The SAUNA-OVEN!

The oven for the Sauna is an old Gas Bottle which is converted by using a 6inch steel flu welded in place and than cutting in a small door at the bottom for ash collection and avent for the fire. The larger door cut at the top functions to feed in the logs and a welded ring around the top is where the stones are placed – TRUST me it works!