Tree house

Building tree platforms or nests as a shelter from dangers on the ground is a habit of all the great apes, and may have been inherited by humans.

However, evidence for cave accommodation, terrestrial human-made rock shelters, and bonfires should be possible to find if they had existed, but are scarce from earlier than 40,000 years ago.

[citation needed] Even today, tree houses are built by some indigenous people in order to escape the danger and adversity on the ground in some parts of the tropics.

The BBC revealed in 2018 that the Korowai had constructed some very high tree houses "for the benefit of overseas programme makers" and did not actually live in them.

[5] Modern tree houses are usually built as play areas for children or for leisure purposes, but may also be used as accommodation in hotels or residential applications.

[8][9] Stilts are typically anchored into the ground with concrete, although new designs such as the "Diamond Pier" speeds installation and are less invasive for the root system.

[11] Not all species of plants suffer from puncture in the same way, depending partly on whether the sap conduits run in the pith or in the bark.

[13][14][15] Since the mid-1990s, recreational tree houses have enjoyed a rise in popularity in countries such as the United States and parts of Europe.

This growing popularity is also reflected in a rise of social media channels, websites, and television shows specially dedicated to featuring tree houses around the world.

[citation needed] Increased popularity has, in turn, given rise to demand for businesses covering all building and design work for clients.

There are over 30 businesses in Europe and the US[17] specializing in the construction of tree houses of various degrees of permanence and sophistication, from children's play structures to fully functioning homes.