Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

This Prefab Tree House Was Inspired by a Young Girl’s Sketch

This Prefab Tree House Was Inspired by a Young Girl’s Sketch

Ryan Street Architects uses Douglas fir and prefabricated panels to build a lofty guesthouse in five days flat.

When one Austin family sought to create a tree house on their property, they looked to their own daughter’s artwork for design inspiration. The project started out as a backyard playhouse for the couple’s two daughters-but then it took off and went above and beyond everyone’s wildest dreams.



The Escobedo Group used their panelized Dario system to assemble a contemporary tree house overlooking Lake Austin in just five days.



Set atop stilts designed to resemble tree branches, the tree house is clad in reclaimed Douglas fir and mirrored panels that reflect the surroundings.

The family had worked with Ryan Street Architects on their main house, so they enlisted the Austin firm to bring their young daughter’s sketch to life. "That sketch became one of the first key inspirations," says project manager Jeremy Ristau. "The design intent from that point forward was to create a fully elevated structure that would be nestled within the surrounding tree canopies and evoke the feeling of a tree house, while also being very refined, elegant, and fully functional for the owners as a guesthouse."



The reclaimed wood siding and timber beams mimic the owners’ main house on the adjacent property. "We wanted the tree house to feel special, while also keeping it relatable in color palette and materials to their main residence, since they are in close proximity and it will ultimately feel like one cohesive estate," explains project manager Jeremy Ristau.



The stilts make the structure appear to float above the site.

To build the tree house, the firm turned to the Escobedo Group, a local construction company known for developing a panelized prefab system called Dario. The company constructs the panels off-site at a 60,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Buda, Texas, and then transports them directly to the job site. Once they arrive, they can be assembled in a matter of days instead of months.

The Tree house took a total of five days to construct, using a process that places minimal impact on the job site. "The massive steel base was put up in two days, and the tree house structure itself took three days," explains Dario creator David Escobedo. "Dario is a better, more efficient way to build. The system drastically reduces waste and prevents damage to native conditions."



The steel supports also solve a major design challenge by providing the tree house with electricity and plumbing.



The bedroom and bathroom are set within large glass cubes that provide the sensation of floating amidst the tree canopy.

In a rapidly growing city like Austin, minimizing a project’s construction footprint is important. "Instead of five dumpsters on a job site, I would like to reduce it down to five garbage bags," Escobedo says. "The electrical and plumbing was already installed in the walls, so on-site it’s essentially plug and play."

The guesthouse is clad in Douglas fir and mirrored panels that reflect the stunning surroundings, and it’s set upon stilts that make it appear to float. "We developed a steel support system that mimics large tree trunks with steel pipe "branches" that span outward from the "trunks" to carry the tree house structure above," says Ristau. The steel supports also solve a major design challenge: how to provide the structure with electricity and plumbing.



The mirrored glass exterior provides privacy during the daytime, while motorized drapes conceal the interior at night. The firm had to think outside the box and move elements that are traditionally located against walls out into the living spaces.



A Slik Stone freestanding tub offers a view over Lake Austin.

Another challenge was designing large, floor-to-ceiling glass cubes for the bedroom and bathroom. These areas feel like they’re floating amidst the tree canopy, yet they’re carefully designed to provide privacy as well-motorized drapes encompass the interior. "We suspended the vanity mirrors and TV from the ceiling, and we heavily frosted the interior pane of the glass wall adjacent to the shower, since we could not feasibly put drapes in there," explains Ristau.



The original tree house sketch that provided inspiration for the guesthouse hangs above the kitchen sink.



An Aidan single-sided suspension fireplace by VITA Fireplaces adds a cozy contemporary vibe.

The results exceeded all expectations, and the tree house now serves as dreamy escape that everyone can enjoy. The girls have beds on the upper level, while a downstairs bedroom allows the structure to serve as a more formal guesthouse—and the sketch that inspired it all is framed above the kitchen sink for all to see.



The couple’s daughters have beds on the lofty top floor of the tree house.



The panelized building system places minimal impact on the job site and the surrounding environment.



Floor Plan of Tree House by Ryan Street Architects

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
×