‘There’s something magical about them’: Man fights to live inside his self-built adult treehouse after council bans the structures due to bushfire risk
- Anthony Aitken, from Logan in Queensland, hopes to live in a treehouse
- Mr Aitken had a few basic skills when he began creating the timber pad in 2016
- His current treehouse is a prototype and he hopes to build a bigger treehouse
A man who built an adult-size treehouse hopes to transform the nifty living spaces into permanent and viable Australian homes.
Anthony Aitken, from Logan in Queensland, had a few basic carpentry skills when he began creating the timber pad in 2016.
Mr Aitken said there was something ‘magical’ about treehouses, adding they were a space efficient way to live.
‘I look at treehouses as part of that movement of container homes and tiny houses. It’s about utilising smaller spaces to live in and being conscious of how you use that space,’ he told the ABC.
But Logan City Council says any proposed dwelling of more than 10 square metres is required to have development approval and also requires an arborist report and geotechnical report.
Anthony Aitken, from Logan in Queensland, had a few basic carpentry skills when he began creating the timber pad in 2016
Mr Aitken said there was something ‘magical’ about treehouses, adding they were a space efficient way to live
They would also consider height restrictions, bushfire zones, plumbing, drainage, stair and balustrade compliance.
Mr Aitken’s treehouse comes with a deck and sits on a four-metre platform, which rises as high as seven metres.
The building process was challenging for Mr Aitken, who said he learned the hard way that getting an approved dwelling would be difficult.
‘The building certification is the hardest part. With the recent bushfires, too, that’ll make it harder with fire risk, but also getting people to understand it as a realistic way to live,’ he said.
Mr Aitken said his current treehouse is a prototype and he is planning to create a home closer to 100 sq m of living space.
His treehouse comes with a deck and sits on a four-metre platform, which rises as high as seven metres
‘I’m planning on building an even bigger one to live in that’s more sustainable, with a rope bridge, a big deck, bathroom, shower, a loft platform — everything,’ he said.
Mr Aitken said the treehouse movement was bigger overseas and Australia should follow suit.
He said there were at least 12 professional tree house builders in the US, with some of their homes worth $300,000-$400,000 with bathrooms and showers.
Mr Aitken said his current treehouse is a prototype and he is planning to create a home closer to 100 square metres of living space