Researchers Build Eco-Treehouse For Adults

September 17th, 2008 by Ariel Schwartz

If you miss the treehouses of your childhood, you may just have a new excuse to own one relatively soon. Researchers from have Tel Aviv University and MIT have built a prototype treehouse that can process waste and reduce carbon emissions— so you can feel even more justified in reliving your youth.

The researchers built the model treehouse from malleable tree roots that are hardened into steel girder-like structures. Apparently, the houses can be outfitted with solar panels and wind turbines, and they can even convert waste into nutrients for trees.

Prototype homes will be ready in ten years—but don’t get excited yet. They’ll be too expensive for all but a few. I also wonder about how realistic this model is for areas that experience natural disasters (and in this age of global warming, what area doesn’t?). Do you really want to be mired in the middle of a tree during a hurricane, tornado, or flood? But all practicalities aside, the nouveau treehouse looks like a lot of fun.

Photo Credit: The UK Telegraph

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