The · Affected · Provincial’s · Almanack

Got a call from our friends at the American Museum of Natural History, who would like us to work with their architect on an exhibition about mythical animals. We are to help them create a "magical forest". The exhibition opens in May, so I doubt this project will be as large as the last one. I always look forward to working on these museum projects. More soon.

~W

"Plants are among the slowest forms of life. Their movements, barely perceptible, beg no urgency or relevancy for most humans. We navigate a world that is moving at an ever-increasing pace and driven by constant communication. Consequently, plants are receding in our individual and collective consciousness.

Until the advent of industrialized agriculture, the rhythms of human society were aligned with the rhythms of plants. However, recent human history has defied these limitations. Now, the year-round availability of fresh produce, textiles, wood, and the myriad of other products on which we depend, has dimmed our awareness of their sources. Moreover, our inability to empathize with plants as living things has reduced our regard for them. We think of plants in terms of agriculture, science, or landscaping—if we think of them at all.

We value plants as forms that bring color, texture, fragrance, comfort, and curve to the rectilinear hardscape of our cities, but that can now be achieved, indoors and out, with realistic artificial plants. Everywhere we look, the globe is becoming less “green” and measurably less alive. We seem not to notice. The truth is, plants, humans, and most other life-forms are inextricably intertwined, locked in a dynamic, co-dependent struggle for survival. It is in our own self-interest to pay them more attention."

--essay from the SlowLife Exhibition, Indiana University

I don't know about you, but I have the fever. You see, in the dead of winter, conversation in my house inevitably drifts to talk about living in and on a tree, and of enjoying the scent of its sap, being gently swayed by the wind, nestling oneself in the boughs of bright green leaves and dappled sunlight. Moreover, I love the sensation of being simultaneously enclosed and perched. There's an elegance to things that are built to go with the flow of natural phenomena--sailboats, kites, aolean harps, sea organs--and treehouses are among them, borrowing the shelter and stability of plants. I have a tree jones, and I gots it bad.

Here's this evening's book report: The cannibalistic Korowai tribes of New Guinea lived in treehouses mainly because feuds between neighbors were so violent that the treetops were the only place one could sleep in safety. Escape from biting insects (in addition to biting cousins) were probably a consideration as well.

Many people have fond memories of ramshackle treehouses built in their backyards or nearby wooded lots, and fondly recall the summer nights swaying in the creaking branches. Some people maintain them for future generations. Here is a site that gives "how to " advice and monthly tips on how to build your own treehouse. For those of us who are less than industrious, here is a company that specializes in building treehouses. And here are some books on treehouses (I'd recommend this one), and here is the Alnwick Garden Treetopia, a tree village which can accommodate 1,000 people. The Cedar Creek treehouse at Mt. Ranier is definitely safe from marauding moose. Next time you're in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, try renting a treehouse cottage. Or perhaps Kadir's treehouses in Turkey are more to your liking?

Some architects are experimenting with prefab treehouse designs, but I prefer the ones that strive towards harmony with their surroundings.

The treehouse has become standard lodging in some corners of the ecotourism biz, as seen in this Kerala resort. David Greenberg's wonderful website is full of actual and hypothetical tropical treehouses. He is building some treehouses in Fiji and Vietnam, but has already built treehouse resorts in Hainan, China and Hana, Maui. Look here for some fascinating designs. The pod suspended by nets is a favorite:

( More amazing designs behind the cut )
Four old oaks in my new backyard. Hm.

~W