Tree houses are more popular than ever—they’re ecological, quick to build and with a low environmental impact, they’re an economical and sustainable way of providing lightweight or temporary housing. In gardens and holiday villages alike there are plenty of inspirational examples in Switzerland.

Elements to consider before building
Planning permission Anything over 6m² needs approval from your commune. It is often a good idea to meet with the planning officer from your commune to discuss the plan before you apply.

Options Single stem tree builds, multiple stem builds, on stilts (suitable for small or young trees).

Suitable tree varieties Maple, oak, beech, ash, many conifers (hemlock, cypress and cedars) and fruit trees such as apple or cherry are great for children’s tree houses. Trees to avoid include short-lived trees such as silver birch, aspens and poplars. Spruce and walnut don’t make great trees for treehouses due to their habit of dropping large limbs (spruce) or splitting unexpectedly (walnut).

Other considerations Age, health of the tree, and branch diameter as well as the likely longevity of the tree should all be considered.  If you are planning to have the tree house built for you, then the contractor should do an ecological study of the intended tree.  Your commune may ask you to have a forester assess the tree before they agree the proposal, if you are building the tree house yourself.

Time taken If you’re having the tree house planned and constructed by professionals, you can expect a six to eight week wait for the permission from the commune. For an adult-sized tree house for three to four people, you should anticipate about one month for the planning, one month for pre-construction in the workshop and about ten days construction on site.

Which wood Red cedar, larch and douglas pine are among the favourite woods to construct long-term tree houses. Many firms don’t like to use the cheaper pines as they require significant treatment to prevent rotting, such as autoclaving.

Construction options North American tree houses are usually constructed with nails or screws piercing the bark of the tree.  Most European techniques involve pulley and collar systems so as not to pierce the bark of the tree. Maintenance afterwards should include some treatment with flax or linseed oil and annual or bi-annual checks on the technical supports.

Sources of inspiration 

The Treehouse Book by Peter Nelson
Reve de Cabane (Site in English)
La Cabane Perchee (Site in English)
Dans mon Arbre (Only in French)
Les Nids (French or German)
Ma cabane dans les arbres (Only in French)

Next week it’s the Garden Doctor with plenty of water-related questions!