Treehouses: A Japanese Man Taught Himself Architecture Over 20 Years and Built 150 of Them to Fulfill a Childhood Dream

Woken by birds in the morning, watching the stars from up in a tree at night - would you want to live in a treehouse like this?

Accompanied by a ray of sunlight slipping through the leaves, the chirping of birds and the murmuring of a stream, "Treehouse Uncle" Takashi Kobayashi climbs down from his treehouse.

In over 20 years, he has built 150 treehouses,

and is known as"Japan's number one treehouse builder"。

But more often than not,

he still prefers the children to affectionately call him

"Treehouse Uncle"

No sophisticated design,

no luxurious decoration.

"A good treehouse is one that makes you want to climb up

and look at the world anew."

He grins, with a childlike smile.

In the morning,

listen to the birds sing,

watch the squirrels leap,

at night,

watch the sunset at dusk,

gaze at the starry sky,

We who have long lived in the city,

how long has it been since we saw a scene like this?

He feels that treehouses belong to nature,

"A treehouse in the truest sense,

looking out from its window,

you can see a forest sea that lifts the heart。”

Treehouse Uncle's hometown is Ito, a land of hot springs,

He originally had a job at a Tokyo television station,

but "Tokyocrowded streets make me feel stressed,

and I miss the mountains and sea of my hometown terribly.”

This is the reason he builds treehouses in the mountains and forests.

From rough surreal huts to square volumes,

they all share one common concept:

a fantasy space of gratitude to nature.

He never studied professional design,

relying entirely on a passion,

and a love of nature,

he has built dream huts for people one after another in the woods.

Why do you want to build a treehouse?

He always asks this.

For a writer's wish for a "self-sufficient" life,

Kobayashi built a treehouse in Nakijin Village, Okinawa;

a mother wanted to fulfill, on behalf of her deceased daughter,

an unfulfilled wish,

so in a private garden in Karuizawa Town

he built a treehouse;

there were also clients like this,

who asked him to build "a gift for my grandson."

He always builds treehouses for children,

incorporating more child-friendly elements.

He designed a wooden slide,

and even deliberately cut slender openings in every step

to make it easy for children to grip while climbing,

He is also more than happy to build treehouses for public welfare organizations.

After the 2011 tsunami,

he built a treehouse especially for children who had lost family members,

to soothe the wounds in their hearts.

He believes

that a treehouse can not only dissolve the boundary between people and nature,

but also has the power to warm people's hearts.

His most ideal treehouse

is built in Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia,

reaching 26 m high,

and has now become a rendezvous spot for lovers:

"In this treehouse,

the bird calls come from beneath your feet.”

In Atami in southern Japan,

he built the world's most luxurious treehouse,

"Kusukusu."

It "perches" in a 300-year-old camphor tree,

The structure of the treehouse is independent,

and does not rely on the trunk to bear the load.

The design team used 3D laser scanning

to locate the position of every trunk and even branch,

then designed a metal frame

that cleverly avoids these trunks

and achieves the purpose of supporting the treehouse.

Around the treehouse

some supporting facilities were also built

for visitors and children to play in,

At the top of the treehouse is a space similar to a tea room,

with a spacious terrace, which must be utterly delightful.

And this lifestyle that lets people return to nature

and feel nature

is exactly what he advocates.

To him, trees are friends for life,

He is familiar with more than 400 kinds of trees,

Before building each treehouse,

he carefully surveys the area around the tree,

so as not to affect the tree's growth.

Using local materials,

for a treehouse he built in Guangzhou,

he used local nanmu wood,

built among banyan trees.

A "ceremony to honor the tree spirit" is also held.

“Erecting a building on a tree

undoubtedly affects the tree's growth,

and they may not be willing to be treated this way.。”

He has his own insistence,

From design drawings to the completion of the work,

whether it is climate, temperature or humidity,

every step beneath his feet

is a decision made after careful deliberation.

Why build a house in a tree?

He always asks this of the people who come to him for a treehouse.

To him, a treehouse is not architecture,

but a dream of making friends with nature.