Swiss Family Tiki Treehouse

Aloha!

I've lurked here for quite some time, enjoying the incredible creations from the artists and Polynesian lifestylers who frequent this amazing place.

I'm a big time fan of mid-century and tropical culture and just started a new project with my kids. With more than a nod to the Swiss Family Treehouse in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, we've recently broken ground on our own downscaled version in our backyard. I'll post up some pictures here along the way.

Although I've traveled overland throughout the tropics in Central America, I still come back to Adventureland for ideas and inspiration. I'd love input from the esteemed membership!

Hidden in the treetops, safe from marauding pirates (or Europeans).

Interior interest. Two hammocks will be included in our version.

Mahalo!

I wish I had one of those!

For the project, we chose to situate about 65sf of platform 10' off the ground on an old magnolia at the back of our property. What you'll see in pictures from the platform is that the far side of this treehouse is cantilevered over a slope along the back edge of our property, which gives you stunning treetop-views from an effective final elevation of 40' over the densely-wooded space below.

Stairs are in. Railings... that's another thing, altogether.

Wow
Killer.......

That is an awesome idea! I can't wait to see how this evolves! The Swiss Family Treehouse is great inspiration!

(I actually laughed a little when we saw the version at WDW... We have some of the same furniture in our own home!)

Eager to see how this turns out!

I love this - can't wait to see more.

WOW!!! That is inspiring. Looks like the stairway to heaven. Looking forward to your continued build!!!

Thanks everyone, for the kind notes and encouragement! I'm going to start digging deeper in the boards for some resources that aren't in Florida for some items I'm having trouble sourcing in North Carolina.

EUCALYPTUS STAIR SPINDLES

If anyone has a bead on eucalyptus poles in the Greater Charlotte region, I'd be in your debt! These will be mixed in with some bamboo sticks for the stair spindles. I've got 19 steps with two spindles a piece and three 3 x 3' landings to cover. So, I need roughly 85 3' (x 3/4" - 1.5" dia) sticks. Amazulu in Florida has been very nice and the cost per cut spindle is about $3.65 + freight. Still, the freight from Florida is significant.

BAMBOO

I'm going to comingle the same diameter bamboo poles among the eucalyptus - with the bamboo 1:10 or so against the number of eucalyptus poles. Luckily, I have a grove of bamboo (don't know the variety, but will post pics) at my disposal. The stuff is live and must be cured prior to I build with it. Smaller stuff I'm sourcing locally.

THATCH

We simply don't have the money for 130 square feet of synthetic, so I'm thinking of using the standard Mexican Cape, which I've had quoted on a roll and in 42" square mats. Ideas here? I have access to fire retardant, or may just pay the nominal upcharge to get the "outdoor retardant" version.

WOVEN BAMBOO PLYWOOD

This will make up the lower section of my walls, which will be made up of these laminated onto ACX ply, captured on the sides with mitered bamboo framing. Anyone seen these in North Carolina?

I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing, fulfilling Easter / Passover weekend! We were busy on the treehouse, working on taking the platform vertical, with the pony wall studs all in place now. These tip out an inch-per-foot, so the treehouse will have a width of almost 10' at the top, and 8' at the deck. Boy, carriage bolts are expensive!!!

Detail shot of the birdsmouth notch cut, sitting over the rim joist.

Corner blocks allow 5" bamboo corner posts to seat securely under the deck. The studs all lean out from the deck, but are otherwise perpendicular, so it will be easy to frame the wall materials.

Less sexy (but long overdue), work happened under the magnolia as we cleaned up a few years of yard refuse that had accumulated there. Infested with ivy, it was stupid, backbreaking work, but the area is now clean. We're going bury a little precast edging, mulch the bed and plant shade tolerant stuff like ginger and cana and, of course a few tiki props.

Wow, what a project. Very much look forward to seeing the results. My reaction to this post was kinda like
Flounder's.
Cheers!
:drink:

On 2015-04-09 11:59, finky099 wrote:
Wow, what a project. Very much look forward to seeing the results. My reaction to this post was kinda like
Flounder's.
Cheers!
:drink:

Ha! My 13-year-old twins and I were out in a bamboo grove last night, gathering the king studs for the four corners and rafters. I only realized this morning that I missed a prime photo op of my son, who was hacking at the "jungle" with a machete about as long as he is tall.

Does anyone have an opinion about whether I should attempt to build with this fresh stuff versus buying already cured? The treehouse is in constant shade and I wonder if I'll be able to cut / notch the green poles with less splitting than when if I used pre-cured material.

The window bamboo is already purchased and is already cured, of course.

After some business travel and much rain in North Carolina, we're back at it! We won't be in Florida until June, so we decided to source wood locally from NC, instead of using the eucalyptus that can seemingly only be purchased south of Georgia! We discovered that crepe myrtle grows relatively long, straight branches. These are incredibly dense hardwood, resistant to pests and will have a great color once we clear-coat them.

With many stairs needing spindles, we estimate about 130 30" sections will be required. Will post up pictures later tonight!

Stairs are nearing completion now, with crepe myrtle branches substituted for eucalyptus.

Between baluster posts, we're mixing it up in the spirit of the real Swiss Family Treehouse attraction. Bamboo, netting and other materials will break up the lovely, but somewhat monotonous crepe myrtle spindles.

Looking WONDERFUL! I love what you've done so far and can't wait to see the finished results. But I'm mighty impressed already!

The thatch really makes it!!! I built one in So. Cal a while ago and the fire dept said No No No to thatch in the mtns.( even heavy fire retarded) Here's the one I did incase you haven't seen it. Aloha! BB https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.340958716239.185485.679291239&type=1&l=929d83fade

Bamboo Ben
Custom Tropical Decor
I build Tiki Rooms for you! Just ask around :wink:
https://www.facebook.com/bamboo.ben

[ Edited by: RevBambooBen 2015-06-08 19:24 ]

Fantastic stuff, Ben! I've got more inspiration to work from now. :)

WOW.....great idea and it looks wonderful!

Drawing more inspiration from friends in Florida...

Holly cow! I want one! Looking good

As it is with a few of the structures on the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse at Walt Disney World (and the Tarzan attraction at Disneyland), our treehouse will feature a thatched pyramid hip roof, with four bamboo corner posts rising to a central lodgepole.

The attractions at the Parks utilize real bamboo in surprisingly many places, however, I suspect the structural work that matters is all welded metal frame or, possibly, a PVC product where lesser integrity will pass.

The treehouse we're constructing utilizes what I believe is Phyllostachys Nigra Hedon variety bamboo, which we have in a large grove at a friend's house. These are relatively straight-growing type that attain heights of 40 - 50' and diameters up to 5". The wall thickness is about schedule 40 - schedule 80, depending on the stalk.

For the corner posts, I selected the straightest poles I could find, with diameters of about 4" - 3" (accounting for taper over their length. Just like Disney's, these posts penetrate the decking to hang down about 16" underneath and protrude through the thatch roof about 16". When drilling holes, you really want to play in as close to the culms as you can, although this isn't always possible.

Structurally, figuring out how to accomplish this was tricky! As you can see from previous pictures, the 2 x 6" deck framing had 6 x 6" corner pockets added, to allow the corner posts to pass through the deck, but insuring that I could go back later and add carriage bolts, spacers, washers and nuts to further secure them in place.

I have found that doing the structural work is easier on green poles. They simply machine easier when they are loaded with moisture. I may live to regret it, but I have made allowances for contraction and expansion as they cure in-place in the construction.

Drilling is best accomplished with forstner bits. I'm using 3/8" zinc carriage bolts to make the corners to a series of diagonal braces between the pony wall studs. The total weight of the roof will be coming in at roughly 300lbs. dry, but I am working to utilize best practices for all the framing, whenever possible.

A corner post bolted in place. Will remove the deck board to route the pass-through later. My Porter Cable packed it in and replacing the brushes didn't remedy the problem. I think the stator is gone. :(

More detail on the roof construction to come!

The Swiss Family Treehouse is a hodge-podge of materials, because the Robinsons salvaged whatever they could from their ship that broke apart on the rocks of the island they were marooned on. So, with much of the structural work, which required real materials for safety, completed, we are now dumpster-diving and curb-cruising for the bits and pieces that will give the treehouse that "salvaged" look. The local Habitat for Humanity Restore warehouse had a great deal on vinyl shutters in forest green, which will do an admirable job of mimicking some of the ship captain's quarters wood paneling that you will see in the Parks version. We faced these toward our neighbor's houses. This one wall will be almost entirely solid, to afford them some privacy and to keep noise from the treehouse minimized.

Inside, we'll be using Amazulu's excellent woven bamboo plywood product to sheath the interior wall. It doesn't matter that it won't match the exterior material, as you'll never see them in context to one another. I'll have to sneak over the fenceline to grab a better picture of the results!

More to come...

If anyone has advice for rotating my images, I'd be in your debt. They were right-side-up when I selected them from my computer... :)

What part of Charlotte do you live in ?
I live / work in CLT and in New Smyrna Beach Florida
Awesome project so far

On 2015-06-08 19:23, RevBambooBen wrote:
The thatch really makes it!!! I built one in So. Cal a while ago and the fire dept said No No No to thatch in the mtns.( even heavy fire retarded) Here's the one I did incase you haven't seen it. Aloha! BB https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.340958716239.185485.679291239&type=1&l=929d83fade

---

Bamboo Ben
Custom Tropical Decor
I build Tiki Rooms for you! Just ask around :wink:
https://www.facebook.com/bamboo.ben

[ Edited by: RevBambooBen 2015-06-08 19:24 ]

Ben, about not being able to use thatch.... There is an AMAZING faux thatch made to look just like thatch for neighborhoods with strict HOME Owner Associations. I know you can get with Gulf Coast Palapas for info. I've seen the stuff and it looks amazingly real even from the inside looking up.

On 2015-07-22 18:25, NSB Friki Tiki wrote:
What part of Charlotte do you live in ?
I live / work in CLT and in New Smyrna Beach Florida
Awesome project so far

We're in downtown Concord, just north of Charlotte.

Ah ok .. I used to live in Concord also. Off HWY 73 Exit 55.
Would love to see it sometime.

More work happening as time allows. You know how that is?

Bamboo rafters are in and spaced sheathing battens for landing the Mexican cape thatch are going in now! We have a 36" x 60' roll of the material. Thatching the corners is confounding, but I know I'll find something online for how this is accomplished!

We have about 250' of bamboo material 10' up in that magnolia tree now and I'm considering corner stilts to take the burden off the tree.

Wait, no updates for more than a year? No way! I want to see what the treehouse looks like now! Must be incredible!

This is amazing!!!!

Would love to see updated pics!!