Figgy’s Reviews > my cool treehouse: an inspirational guide to stylish treehouses > Status Update

This was designed as a bird multi-occupancy 'apartment building' and one-person treehouse. The commonality is an adjoining wall drilled with 78 tiny holes, which results in a unique, experiential birdhouse cum peep show - a conceptual piece brought into reality. The aim was to capture the small but amazing moments in life that we appreciate but don't linger over.

Truly a rock star's treehouse, this was built for Robby Krieger, the guitarist in the Doors, in his Beverley Hills backyard. Robby wanted somewhere to relax, feel immersed in nature, watch the wildlife and, of course, play his guitar.

Using geodesic forms and cocoonish environments, these beautiful tree-strung structures were designed to recreate the experience of a road trip. Up off the ground, separated from the solidity of the real world, they are the ultimate release. These fresh interpretations of treehouses were created with the traditional intention of providing inspiring spaces for people.

The trees grow up through the building of the main restaurant structure. Hemp rope is wound around the junction of the deck and the trunks to allow for movement during high winds. Technically and creatively challenging, this inspirational treehouse successfully combines practical and fantastical elements that can be extracted and condensed for more modest builds. You cannot but admire its scale. It's glorious.

This isn't so much an escape from the real world as an invitation into it. The rules are off-grid and you have to participate and live within these parameters. However, the experience is not uncomfortable or harsh, and there is a satisfying fusion of aesthetics and the sustainable. A sense of calm and tranquility permeates this unique space.

'Gwdy Hw', a Welsh name for 'owl' used by children, is a treehouse set in a larch tree 10m [35ft] above the ground. Larch is a springy and flexible tree, so you can feel the movement within as the wind blows and the tree swings.

Lois Sands is a South African safari complex with history. Its treehouses are an intrinsic part of a holiday experience comprising lodges with private pools and opulent interiors. They are sited on a family-owned property that dates back four generations to a Virginian gold miner turned stockbroker who arrived in 1933 to hunt big game before turning conservationist.

Quinn Petersen is the first to admit his backyard treehouse bucks the trend. For a start, rather than being suspended sky high in the leafy canopy, it sits close to the ground. It wasn't supposed to be a treehouse at all - he ran out of space in his garage and wanted a platform cover for his motorbikes. He modestly claims that the deck and roof just evolved.

In freakishly wild and windy weather, the Sparrow House on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall creaks and sways, clinging onto an ash tree and connecting you to the visceral and elemental experience of living within the natural world.

Treehouses often start off as family projects created specially for children. Here's an example of one that has changed over time, graduating into an urban oasis that has grown up to be a very cool piece of heaven for all the family.