TREE HOUSE
BUILD
THE
Douglas John built forts as a kid and dreamt that some day he would build a giant treehouse. One of the biggest accomplishments for a 17 year old boy, a custom built treehouse equipped with a living room, bedroom and bathroom, as well as a porch leading to a rooftop deck. This 400 square foot mini castle stood three stories tall in the remote Wisconsin woods of the family's summer cottage. Douglas John included electricity and a running water system. It was made with recycled materials, truck loads of discarded lumber, and an enormous amount of creativity and hard work. With occasional help from friends, Eric, Robbie, Cory, Dan, and Sean, Douglas John was able to bring his dream to life. The build was constructed so successfully that it was able to hold eleven fully-sized adults at one time.
"The two summers I spent building it was worth the effort. There's nothing better than enjoying the fruits of your labor. I cherish the building process both the times with friends and working in the forest alone. I appreciate the things I learned like resolving certain aspects of the built, how to work safely and efficiently by myself and being able to determine the time of day by the position of the sun. The treehouse became a milestone in my life for several reasons; the gravity of the project, the knowledge I gained, the memories I made, and the tragedy that followed. The short story goes, I had an unforgettable summer camping trip with friends just before college and one of those friends passed away suddenly the following year. Some time later I found out that my treehouse attracted two different local groups of kids who eventually fought over occupancy. As a result, one group burned down my dream. Seven firetrucks later I found myself cleaning up the remains. What an experience."
- Douglas John Virsila
TEASER (00:30)
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CREATED BY DOUGLAS JOHN VIRSILA