Wednesday, January 27, 2010
German trio makes living treehouses
German trio makes living treehouses
http://www.greendiary.com/entry/arbo-architecture-german-trio-pioneers-living-treehouses/
The Root Bridges of Cherrapungee
In the depths of northeastern India, in one of the wettest places on earth, bridges aren't built - they're grown.
http://atlasobscura.com/places/root-bridges-cherrapungee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEI_GRjvDPk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sB1pr2Gjmg
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
London Plane Tree may be a good choice for Georgia
A quick sort through the database at the arborday foundation reccomends the London Plane tree for growing in our zone 7 here in Georgia. Besides the large size, deciduous and disease resistance features, it is "fast growing" which makes it an especially good choice for arbortecture. There are a very nice grove of these in Piedmont park in atlanta that prove their suitability for our area. They do reccomend well-drained soil which might be a problem depending on the location. It could be that planting in a deep trench with a drained bottom would solve this issue were a high clay hardpan hill the only available site. Appearently a low soggy bottom would be out of the question though.
Planetree, London
Platanus x acerifolia
Red-brown scales flake to show cream-colored inner bark. Large distinctive leaves with lighter undersides. Fast growing, resistant to anthracnose. Prefers moist, well-drained soil and full sun to light shade. Grows to 75' to 100', 80' spread. (zones 5-9)
http://www.arborday.org/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?id=33
Planetree, London
Platanus x acerifolia
Red-brown scales flake to show cream-colored inner bark. Large distinctive leaves with lighter undersides. Fast growing, resistant to anthracnose. Prefers moist, well-drained soil and full sun to light shade. Grows to 75' to 100', 80' spread. (zones 5-9)
http://www.arborday.org/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?id=33
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Sycamore is used extensively in Europe
I've seen entire streets and village centers lined with Sycamores in Rome and villages in France where their huge white trunks lead up to towering foliage, cooling the whole street. There was a young one on our farm when I was a kid. The relatives complained about this type of tree for landscape use because it was constantly dropping litter in the form of leaves, or bark, or those spiny cones that hurt when you step on them. Europe must have alot of street sweepers.
Sycamore, California
Platanus racemosa
They are best suited for soils which are moist and do not dry out. Dry soil can lead to short life for this wet-site-tolerant tree. Sycamore has been cursed by horticulturists and others because it is said to be messy, dropping leaves and small twigs throughout the year, particularly in dry weather. Unfortunately, aggressive roots often raise and destroy nearby sidewalks. Allow at least 12 feet (preferably more) of soil between the sidewalk and curb when planting as a street tree. Sycamore is subject to attacks of anthracnose in wet, cool springs. This species is native along streams in central California to Mexico.
Sycamore, California
Platanus racemosa
They are best suited for soils which are moist and do not dry out. Dry soil can lead to short life for this wet-site-tolerant tree. Sycamore has been cursed by horticulturists and others because it is said to be messy, dropping leaves and small twigs throughout the year, particularly in dry weather. Unfortunately, aggressive roots often raise and destroy nearby sidewalks. Allow at least 12 feet (preferably more) of soil between the sidewalk and curb when planting as a street tree. Sycamore is subject to attacks of anthracnose in wet, cool springs. This species is native along streams in central California to Mexico.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Tree Habitat
Tree Habitat
This student design from MIT won several awards. I would prefer less woven and man made structure, but you have to have windows and doors made of something, (probably not vines and bark). It has an intresting recycling of water idea integrated into the design also.
http://www.archinode.com/bienal.html
http://www.archinode.com/
Friday, March 24, 2006
Discussion
The balance in these designs is the intensive training vs. "wild" growth. Trees provide shade and comfort in their natural state. What would be the minimal ammount of training one could do to gain the maximum ammount of shelter from living trees?
Planting location has been used for centuries to make living fences to keep cattle. The tradition in England of the Hawthorne fence required that the farmer "prune" the hedge when it got too wild by cutting long branches half way through, and bending them back into the hedge, not killing the branch. This form of pruning went out of fashion when mechanical verge mowers became available and now english hedge rows are being lost as the gaps get wider and wider every year. The art of this style of pruning is being lost.
A group of existing trees with tents underneath is a minimal approach. A maximal approach would have central heat and air plumbed throughout a living tree structure. I wonder how a tree would react to such temperature differential between inside and out?
For those inclined to garden, planting some trees in a pattern is fun. I can imagine that there are hundreds of people doing it all over the world at any one time. Planted and pruned living summer houses (fair weather structures) may in time become substantial structures used for more year round purposes. A series of such structures planted year after year would become a compound of BioStructures over time. Maintaining such structures is probably not a common skill. We were more collectively attuned to nature 100 years ago when 95% of all populations worked on farms. The sustainable development movent may educate new generations about living with nature in a less exploitive way than their predecestors did.
I picture an evolved coincidental arrangement derived from diminishing resources. The increased cost of gasoline will mean less and less mowing of lawns over time. What were once "manicured" subdivisions will become mini "semi-wild" forests with houses, roads and utilites intact. One hundred years into the future, these cheap pre-fab structures will no longer stand. Their wood frames however will make great training framework for ArborTecture.
This intensity of tree growth requires some human intervention. Trees don't voluntarily grow this close togeather.
Planting location has been used for centuries to make living fences to keep cattle. The tradition in England of the Hawthorne fence required that the farmer "prune" the hedge when it got too wild by cutting long branches half way through, and bending them back into the hedge, not killing the branch. This form of pruning went out of fashion when mechanical verge mowers became available and now english hedge rows are being lost as the gaps get wider and wider every year. The art of this style of pruning is being lost.
A group of existing trees with tents underneath is a minimal approach. A maximal approach would have central heat and air plumbed throughout a living tree structure. I wonder how a tree would react to such temperature differential between inside and out?
For those inclined to garden, planting some trees in a pattern is fun. I can imagine that there are hundreds of people doing it all over the world at any one time. Planted and pruned living summer houses (fair weather structures) may in time become substantial structures used for more year round purposes. A series of such structures planted year after year would become a compound of BioStructures over time. Maintaining such structures is probably not a common skill. We were more collectively attuned to nature 100 years ago when 95% of all populations worked on farms. The sustainable development movent may educate new generations about living with nature in a less exploitive way than their predecestors did.
I picture an evolved coincidental arrangement derived from diminishing resources. The increased cost of gasoline will mean less and less mowing of lawns over time. What were once "manicured" subdivisions will become mini "semi-wild" forests with houses, roads and utilites intact. One hundred years into the future, these cheap pre-fab structures will no longer stand. Their wood frames however will make great training framework for ArborTecture.
This intensity of tree growth requires some human intervention. Trees don't voluntarily grow this close togeather.
Sanfte Strukturen
Sanfte Strukturen
These are some of the most artfull living structures I've seen. There's definitely no effort to conform to a conventional house use. They are fair weather community pavilions. Very artfull.
http://www.sanftestrukturen.de/
Appearently basket weaving is very similar to the skills needed to weave a living structure. This person makes scale models in basketry.
http://www.sanftestrukturen.de/html/modellbau.html
They stopped updating the photos in 2004. I hope the trees didn't die or something. (scroll the timeline for photos)
http://www.weidenschloss-bremerhaven.de/content/geschichte.htm
Arborsmith will do classes in NC
November 5-11, 2006To sign up, go to their web site http://www.folkschool.org
Dr. Lois Walpole
Dr. Lois Walpole of England
Weaves in organic and recyclable materials, has an installation at Kew Gardens. You're gonna need tables and chairs for that Tree House.
http://www.loiswalpole.com/default.htm
Prodotticulture
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/whatsnew/coathanger.html
Weaves in organic and recyclable materials, has an installation at Kew Gardens. You're gonna need tables and chairs for that Tree House.
http://www.loiswalpole.com/default.htm
Prodotticulture
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/whatsnew/coathanger.html
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