Airbnb's Atlanta Urban Tree House That's on Everyone's Wishlist

“The tree house is in the Atlanta city limits,” Peter tells us. “It is close to the city but still in a forest. People like to be near things, and the tree house is secluded while still being very close to the city. Guests get the best of both worlds as they experience the outdoors but can easily have a five-star meal in the city.”

The Design of an Urban Tree House

Peter's urban treehouse was designed between seven trees in a suburban forest in Buckhead; just a few minutes drive from downtown Atlanta. “The trees had a lot to say about how the design went,” Peter admits.” While Peter and his builder had come up with a blueprint for the urban treehouse, things changed as construction began. “There is certainly a cooperative approach to building something that is up in the trees,” he mentions. “We wanted to be respectful of the trees and their character.”

The treehouse is a suite or a collection of three different spaces called Mind, Body, and Spirit connected by hanging rope bridges. One of the rooms is a sitting room with antique furnishings, including an 80-year-old window made from pressed butterfly wings. This sitting room also includes a balcony that looks into the surrounding forest.

The bedroom comfortably sleeps two people, and the bed is equipped with wheels so that you can either sleep inside the treehouse on a cooler night or roll your bed onto the accompanying platform that overlooks a small stream. The hammock deck is the third space of this unique urban treehouse. The deck is entirely open to the elements and is built around a massive southern short-leaf pine tree that is 165 years old.

Because the treehouse is connected to seven different trees, Peter didn’t want to build too high up in the canopy. A windy day might cause the trees to sway in different directions and put stress on the structure. “Our lot is on the side of a hill,” Peter explains. “On one side, you're only 10-12 feet up, but once you cross the rope bridges to the other side of the structure, you are at least 20 feet off the ground.”

In terms of building codes and ordinances, Peter is adamant in saying that he is not an architect. “When it comes to building a tree house, you don’t have to be an architect, and I am not.” When he was building the tree house, he figured that it was better to ask forgiveness rather than permission when it came to getting the necessary building codes. After twenty years of inhabiting the tree house (both him personally and hundreds of Airbnb guests), the tree house is still structurally sound. The only required maintenance is replacing the 1,700 feet of rope used for the rope bridges connecting the rope bridges three structures.

An Experience of Independence 

“I remember having a treehouse as a little kid,” Peter recalls. “It was more just like a couple of boards in a bush, but it was there that I learned the word sovereignty.” After buying an acre of the property next to his home, he started to think about something special he could do with the land. “I kept reminiscing about my days in my childhood tree house and how I could recapture that magic.”

There is no heating or cooling as an open treehouse, meaning that the treehouse is generally vacant from November to March. A fan and a heated blanket are incorporated in the bedroom to help adapt to warmer or cooler nights. However, during the rest of the year, the airflow allows for a comfortable temperature inside the structure. The generous airflow also means that the home has zero issues with moisture or mildew, and the shade offered by the canopy of the trees keeps the home cool even during the hot summer months. Perhaps due to the breeze and the height of the three parts of the structure, the urban treehouse doesn’t have any problems with mosquitoes or other pests.