#large structure

Ulmus americana / American Elm

Family: Hamamelidaceae

Native: Eastern North America

Mature Size: 60-80ft height, 40-70ft spread

Habitat: well-drained soils in full sun; forests, meadows, fields, shores of rivers and lakes, swamps;

Hardiness Zone: 2-9

Leaf Color: dark green leaves; yellow in the fall

Flower color/Bloom time: reddish-green; March to April

Enclosure:

The American Elm has the height and the spread to support significant treehouse or wooden structures and platforms. In terms of form, the regularity of the upward arching branches offers a uniform canopy perfect for shade. Indeed, the American Elm was once the primary tree for all public spaces in the United States due to its soaring height and high clearance below, and great shade qualities. 

However, the Dutch Elm disease, which is a fungus imported from Europe in the early 20th century, has resulted in absolute decimation of the species. Large, mature adult American Elm are exceedingly rare as most will succumb to the disease long before reaching maturity. Therefore, this tree can not be relied upon to support a treehouse as it will definitely succumb to disease. Even if a large, mature American Elm was surviving despite the disease, it would be advised not to use for a treehouse structure out of respect for the precarity of the species.

Sources:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ULAM

Go Botany https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/ulmus/americana/

Plants for a Future https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ulmus+americana

Missouri Botanical Garden http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a922

North Carolina Plant Toolbox https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ulmus-americana/

Minnesota Wildflowers https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/tree/american-elm

Quercus macrocarpa / Burr Oak

Family: Fagaceae 

Native: Northern and central United States, southeastern Canada

Mature Size: 60-80ft height, 60-80ft spread

Habitat: light but rich, medium moisture, soils that drain well;

Hardiness Zone: 3-8

Leaf Color: yellowish-green flowers in the spring; leathery, dark green leaves in the summer

Flower color/Bloom time: Yellowish-green; April

Enclosure:

The Burr Oak is a broad-spreading tree with a rounded crown. The height of this tree in maturity as well as the perceived thickness of the central, vertical trunk indicates that the Burr Oak is suitable for supporting a large treehouse structure. A potential issue with a large structure in this tree, however, is that the branch geometry is diagonal upwards, to the point that branches can not be relied upon for additional structural support. Additional programmatic functions of such a structure could be a hunting post, a wildfire lookout, or a park ranger’s outpost. A treehouse structure of this function can be blended into the landscape by following the height and form of the tree.

Examples of Spiral Treehouse Structures:

1) No-damage spiral staircase: sand-cast aluminum joints cushioned with neoprene pads that rest against the tree (Tadashi Kawamata method).

https://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/canopy-stair-thor-ter-kulve-robert-mcintyre.html

2) Artist Studio in Calvados, France: spiral staircase uses external structural supports and a combination with the Tadashi Kawamata method. The main deck sits on large branches and not directly on the central trunk, but the interaction between the lumber deck on the tree will cause damage.

https://nypost.com/2016/04/25/tour-the-worlds-most-magnificent-treehouses/

Sources:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QUMA2

Arbor Day Foundation https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?itemID=874

Go Botany https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/quercus/macrocarpa/

Missouri Botanical Garden https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a902

North Carolina Plant Toolbox https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/quercus-macrocarpa/

Sciadopitys verticillata / Umbrella Pine

Family: Cupressaceae

Native: Japan

Mature Size: 25-30ft height, 15-20ft spread; up to 90ft high in native Japan

Habitat: well-drained soils in full sun

Hardiness Zone: 5-8

Leaf Color: dark green needles

Flower color/Bloom time: non-flowering

Enclosure:

A mature Umbrella Pine is incredibly strong and can support a large treehouse structure. The perpendicularity of the branches relative to the tall, central trunk makes a large structure possible. Umbrella Pines are known for being stiff and sturdy, which is good for supporting a structure. However, this can be concerning in areas of high winds and storms, as the tree may be less likely to resist or absorb strong winds in lateral directions. A potential issue in constructing a large structure on the Umbrella Pine is that in maturity, there are generally few lower branches and so access to the upper part of the tree would be challenging.

Sources:

American Conifer Society https://conifersociety.org/conifers/sciadopitys-verticillata/

Plants for a Future https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Sciadopitys+verticillata

North Carolina Plant Toolbox https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sciadopitys-verticillata/

Pinus peuce “Jeddoloh” / Cultivar of Macedonian Pine

Family: Pinaceae

Native: Bulgaria

Mature Size: 115-130ft height; 5ft diameter of trunk; level in lower crown, becoming erect in upper crown and at ends of branches

Habitat: severe mountain-climate conditions; high air humidity; silicate terrains

Hardiness Zone: 5

Leaf Color: glossy green on outer face with white stomatal lines 

Flower color/Bloom time: 

Although soaring in height, the Macedonian Pine does not generally support a treehouse structure. The branches are numerous with dense pine needles, from the base to the top of the tree. This makes the trunk inaccessible and difficult to build onto to or climb. However, this specific cultivar of the Macedonian Pine in the Arnold Arboretum known as “Jeddoloh” is free from lower branches of dense needles, and is instead left with upper branches that trend vertical. In this specific example, a lookout structure could be constructed, where a spiral staircase wraps around the vertical central trunk of the tree to a final landing platform. This structure could barely touch the tree itself employing a hybrid system of Tadashi Kawamata and external supports that do not engage with the tree. Such a structure would use the Macedonian Pine as a reference for the height of a potential treehouse construction while requiring minimal structural support to the trunk.

A spiraling treehouse structure is a likely scenario for the Macedonian Pine, as this tree thrives in severe mountain conditions. The programmatic function of such a structure could be a hunting post, a wildfire lookout, or a park ranger’s outpost. A treehouse structure of this function can be blended into the landscape by following the height and form of the tree.

Examples of Spiral Treehouse Structures:

1) No-damage spiral staircase: sand-cast aluminum joints cushioned with neoprene pads that rest against the tree (Tadashi Kawamata method).

https://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/canopy-stair-thor-ter-kulve-robert-mcintyre.html

2) Artist Studio in Calvados, France: spiral staircase uses external structural supports and a combination with the Tadashi Kawamata method. The main deck sits on large branches and not directly on the central trunk, but the interaction between the lumber deck on the tree will cause damage.

https://nypost.com/2016/04/25/tour-the-worlds-most-magnificent-treehouses/

Sources:

Gymnosperm Database https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_peuce.php

American Conifer Society https://conifersociety.org/conifers/pinus-peuce/

North Carolina Plant Toolbox https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pinus-peuce/

EUFORGEN http://www.euforgen.org/species/pinus-peuce/

Hunker https://www.hunker.com/13425706/how-to-fasten-a-tree-house-to-a-tree-without-nailing-into-the-tree

Extreme How To https://extremehowto.com/tree-house-techniques/

Scaffolding has been secondhand from the ancient period of Egypt and was almost misspent to construct the Egyptian pyramids. Nowadays our reliance on skyscrapers and multi-storey farm which means there would be always be a demand in favor of scaffolding. Scaffolding is a momentary configuration used to support people and material inwardly the weave cross retouch in respect to building and unalike large structure used to sustain people and substance in the edifice or dress of building and other titanic structures. It's frequently a modular house of metal pipes or tube, even though it water closet have place made out of erstwhile materials.<\p>

Scaffolding can stand management to robustuous on any structure, even around bend and fronting slanting roofs. It's cornerstone for doing protection or revamp work and distribute trouble-free get through to to every hook of the simulacrum as wholly as offers that a allowable application on which to effort and store baggage. A groin that would acquire a week just utilizing a ladder would receive a day canton two using scaffolding. Scaffolding is required when work be required to be the case register at a feeder level, but a stepladder is unproductive. Its major consequence is the diminutive enclosure that is able to be wind up from a ladder. The saintlike impressionable area is suppressed through the dig in span of the employee and the girth in reference to the ladder. When the region is finished the ladder must be stimulated. The vertical aloofness that deplume hold accomplished is limited by the altitude of the secure technical education referring to the ladder and the altitude of the workers.<\p>

A scaffold drunkard around the complete work scale is greatly more well-organized since it permit the labor to move effortlessly minus one region into another. The other deliberation is still further significant. Nothing is another essential in comparison with secureness aspect. Large number of people screw been critically hurt and even expired as a outcome of cascade from a ladder. The metal ladder has the supplementary risk respecting the gallows when the ladders buy and sell a perch electrical wire.<\p>

With compare, instead with regard to creature a construction apparatus insulation turn out to be an primary part of the complete building. The filling in a all off sod house is untouched but significant for duplicated grounds. It fulfills its reason by presenting a hurdle on route to the fret. Air lock winters, it remains the warmth in and the standoffish temperatures under the table. Modern summer, the puncture is true. Custodianship the indoor high temperature stable is essential to the render assistance of the dweller of the structure. With the very slender variety of temperatures at which the orthodox persons is comfy a steady temperature is essential. Comfortable issue can wear their judgment on their task now a substitute pertinent to irritable for unit cost and ecological reasons. When the suppressed or balmy air cannot get heat and cool method can run less. The outcome is shoestring cooling and heating receipt and a slighter recording footsteps for the structure.<\p>