Hanoian builds man cave in treehouse

During his spare time while following social distancing last December, the Hanoian engineer said he came up with the idea to build a treehouse tucked under his 30-40-year-old longan tree on his 300-square-meter estate in Xuan Canh Commune.

The 22-square-meter treehouse hangs 2.8 meters above ground. Construction took about 20 days with the help of three workers. While building the house, Tu had to make adjustments to the original design. For instance, the leading staircase was initially positioned around the main pillar, but later placed to the side of the house.

Instead of chopping down the longan branches, the owner chose to build the house around them and sprayed the area where they perched through with foam to prevent insects from entering and to help stabilize the structure. It is expected that after 1-2 years, this layer of foam would need to be replaced.

Inside, the space is clad in pine and cork wood to create a rustic and cozy feeling.

All materials were selected with the criteria of being cheap, durable and easy to reuse.
"Therefore, it took me weeks to find the right material," the owner said, adding he expects the house to last about 10 years.

To keep the house stable, Tu made a steel frame fashioned from a large steel pipe and three small steel equivalents for support.
In order to limit the impact from weather, the owner designed a three-layer roof consisting of palm leaves, foam board insulation and cork.

The total cost of the project is about VND130 million (over $5,600). After the house was completed, Tu's two children were delighted with the new place to play.
"I hope to have the opportunity to bring friends here soon to relax," he said.