Area Designers Take to Trees

The Missouri Botanical Garden invites visitors to branch out from the ordinary notion of tree houses with an original exhibition of nine TREEmendous Extreme Tree Houses.

Visitors can view the winning works of a juried competition to construct imaginative, non-traditional, groundlevel structures beneath the canopy of the Garden's oak, elm, gingko and other stately trees. The Extreme Tree Houses are on outdoor display Sunday, Aug. 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The exhibit is included with general admission and highlights the Garden's TREEmendous year of activities in recognition of the United Nations (U.N.) International Year of Forests. For more information, visit www.mobot.org/treemendous.

The Extreme Tree Houses exhibition is designed to showcase the creativity and talent of the local community while also reinforcing the significant role trees play in our lives and in the health of our planet. Designers were encouraged to ponder the concepts of sustainability, exploration and play in the outdoors, nature-inspired design, imagination and more through their installations.

Seven tree houses were selected as winners of the juried competition:

Inside the Tree House, located beneath a red oak tree (Quercus rubra) and designed by a team from Ann Florsek Architect, LLC; Villinger Construction Company; Teiber Construction Company, LLC; and Thies Farm and Greenhouses. Sprouting from a giant seed pod (helicopter) of a maple tree, the hexagonal shaped house incorporates re-purposed wood, green roof technology, solar power and a recycled rain water system. Sustainable features including root tunnels, leaf shutters and models of forest inhabitants are designed to educate, entertain and enchant.

The AMAZEing Rings, located beneath a ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) and designed by students from Washington University. Designed to look like an expanded tree ring structure, the tree house has an outer wood layer and inner core of radiating fabric rings that represent the tree's biological structures, including the outer bark, cambium cell layer and heartwood. A two-way traffic path runs throughout the rings, lined with educational panels explaining the functions of different parts of the tree.

Sweet Gum Tree House, located beneath a sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) and designed by Roost Design Studio. Created to act as a "Gateway to the Garden," the tree house features a structural pathway allowing Garden visitors to view the cedar trees, Goodman Iris Garden and Milles Sculpture Garden pools from a new perspective.

A Treed Place of Play, located beneath a tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) and designed by Manzo Architects. The structure recreates the impromptu hideouts found and explored by children. Two canted L-shaped structures surround the tree, producing an enclosed play space equipped with eye-slits and hidey-holes at all heights. Relax after play by laying back to enjoy the framed view of the dappled canopy and sky above.

Reflections Tree House, located beneath a sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis) and designed by students from Ranken Technical College, is largely inspired by the aerial and buttress roots cast by many larger trees that exemplify the beauty in nature. The name "Reflections" stems from the way the design of the canopy mimics that of a tree, giving it a natural feel as if it were part of the tree itself, and providing a place to rest and reflect.

Nomad Nest, located beneath a sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis) and designed by students from the Kansas City Institute of Art. The Nomad Nest aims to demonstrate ways to sustainably use urban flora every day. The design's woven, salvaged branches and saplings create a durable, dome-like structure surrounding the tree. Outside planters contain wild edibles and a kids' crawl space; a table and seats inside are designed for an informal gathering.

Treehenge, nestled between a silver linden (Tilia tomentosa) and western soapberry (Sapindus drummondii) and designed by Burns & McDonnell. Treehenge is where the TREEmendous Great St. Louis Tree Hunt begins. The design is constructed with a bamboo base and frame, creating a space surrounded by constructed trees featuring reused utility poles donated by Ameren. Within the space are pictures, maps and GPS coordinates to aid in the search for the 30 marked trees throughout the metro St. Louis region.

Two Extreme Tree Houses were commissioned from Christner Inc.:

A "Living" Room in a Garden, located beneath an Amur cork tree (Phellodendron amurense). Fashioned as a typical "living room" with the focus on a grand tree instead of a hearth, the room is defined by salvaged Christmas trees which have been recycled into the construction material and fabric. A wooded log enclosure surrounds three sides of the tree like a fireplace with a stone hearth in front, and the tree's canopy is the ceiling. A "rug-like" accessible seating area is craftedfrom fir and pine needles and small branches. Children can build and create with oversized logs in the play area.

House+Tree=Phi, located beneath a Chinese elm tree (Ulmus parvifolia). Pondering the notion that a tree can express one's inner-most personality and assist the creative imagination, the tree house is a formal abstraction of how humans connect themselves with trees, nature and the universe through one of the most classic expressions in western culture: Phi. Through its form, illustrative panels and elements of found objects, the structure uses the classical principles of Phi and the whimsical construction of traditional tree houses. The tree house is co-created by Engraphix Inc.

The 2011 TREEmendous year of activities is sponsored by Ameren Missouri and Novus International. The Extreme Tree Houses exhibit is supported by the U.S. Green Building Council St. Louis Regional Chapter.
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