TwistedSifter

Hi Richard!

Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts. I have not heard of the term mansionization but it an interesting concept. I also have not heard the 1000 ft rule but likely has some truth to it.

Do you have any examples of architects or companies you think are doing it correctly? Any buildings stand out you feel 'get it'.
Would love your thoughts.

Thanks!

Hey Brian aka Fido McCokefiend, that's a sweet feakin' site you got there! I run @familyguyquotes on twitter, you should check it out, it's pretty freakin' sweet!

Great site design btw. Famiy Guy Rules!

<img src="http://static.tvguide.com/MediaBin/Galleries/Shows/A_F/Fa_Fh/Family_Guy/Season6/family-guy34.jpg">

Thats Amazing!

Stumbled from WV!

It is so cool

Where do you live?

agreed. sweeter than the sap from the trees surrounding it!

thanks for dropping by Cozmo!

[...] Hat tip Twisted Sifter [...]

[...] and the future of freedom on the global Internetreddit My Iraq Fallout 3 tribute… HOLY SHIT I WANT THIS HOUSE 14 yr old girl Tasered in the Head by Police Chief Wet bunnies, look weird. Reddit, [...]

If dogs were allowed to bark the could drive their own cars on whatever side of the street they deemed acceptable to them at any given time

Yes, we must only live in areas that have no natural flora or fauna that we could possibly be disturbing. This philosophy leaves us with residence in arctic tundras and deserts. Sounds great.

But seriously, we are part of the earth's natural fauna ourselves, and just like other animals, we must carve out a natural environment in which to live and thrive. Yes, we possess far greater tools and can harness a wider variety of resources than any other animal, but that doesn't mean that everything we do to alter the "natural" state of other life forms is inherently destructive and despicable. I don't see how this house, large and gaudy as it may be, is an affront to natural living. There seems to be have been the minimum amount of deforestation done to accommodate the architecture and a few paths cut into the woods for walking is negligible. There are thousand of miles of trails running through our country's national forests that haven't led to the extinction of animals species and plant life.

As a resident of VT, the construction of your house/apartment complex would have required total deforestation of the area and a good deal of paving for driveways/roads. It seems as though (unless you live in a completely recycled house, draw well water, use solar/wind/geothermal power and compost your own waste food/human waste) you are holding these people to a double standard simply because their residence is large, in the middle of the woods rather than on land that's woods was cut down/burned long ago and modern in design.

The article gave no indication as to their fossil fuel use/recycling habits/waste disposal strategies, so I see no grounds for you to make a blanket statement as to the "hideous" nature of the owner's "world view". Such hasty and harsh judgments typically don't do much to convince those who are on the fence about natural preservation policies to side with environmentalists.

excellent comment. this is spot on. thanks for sharing Tom.

Canopy Living: The Ultimate Tree House | TwistedSifter…

Canopy Living: The Ultimate Tree House | TwistedSifter:
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I understand what you are saying, but this house is in Portland, Oregon and in a residential neighborhood.

I have had enough of this phony "Save the Earth" bs. The Earth is going to be fine. It has survived much worse things than humans. there have been massive forrest fires, floods, volcanoes, earthquakes, meteorites, entire continents sucked under the ocean by tectonic plate movements, etc. We could coat the entire earth in mile-thick plastic, and it would still be fine. It might take a few million years for the plates to shift and new life to form, but the earth has time. its gonna be here long after the last human dies. So we really aren't "saving" the Earth, we are simply saving the aspects of our environment we enjoy. These same environmentalists who talk about the evils of cutting down trees probably would love it if all the trash dumps on the planet disappeared, because it would better their interpretation of the environment. but if you were a rat or a fly that survived off of those resources, you might look at it the same way as environmentalists look at rain forrest destruction. The entire environmentalist movement is an arrogant attempt to mold the earth to optimal human interpretation. Save all the furry critters, not because we hope they evolve and have meaningful lives, but because we think they look cute. Get over yourself. Humans aren't special, we are just like every other parasite that is leaching resources from it's host. And to try to pretend that we aren't not only is narcissistic, but also completely delusional.

Right, true, the earth has survived forest fires, floods, etc, and everything in that little list of yours. It certainly has. How you perceive those events to be WORSE than the impact of humans, though, I'm perplexed! Nature is well equipped to deal with natural disasters, even including natural disasters provoked by humans. Unnatural disasters, however, well, nature isn't as able to deal with, at least not in the time of human existence. And honestly, even though it sounds awful in a moral sense, most humans don't care what the earth is going to be like after all of us are dead and gone. We SAY we do care, ONLY because we perceive our existence to be infinite.
I agree with most of the rest of your argument, but I do have something to say about those rats and flies on the trash dumps. As I see it, you've got your psychological aspect of it wrong. Perception of the environment does skew what a creature views as important, and when that creature in question's perception is very short termed and ENTIRELY based on what Sigmund Freud called the "id," (NOT as in the abbreviated form of identification), the creature cannot possibly fathom their impact on anything other than what they know to be themselves and their world as it applies to them. I don't know if I'm getting my point across, but as humans that have not only the id but the ego and superego, compiled with our understanding (whether that understanding be correct or otherwise) of the world as a whole, we are compelled to have some sort of responsibility towards it all. And whether it be some "arrogant attempt to mold the earth to optimal human interpretation," the superego compels to act on our views. Perhaps we're completely delusional in those views (that is simply a matter of opinion), but by the former argument we are entirely justified, regardless.

I absolutely love this house design

To save the earth we save ourselves! Ya know, the human race! you are a fucking moron!

I'm going to guess it's because this article was on reddit and people on reddit have been known to actually have good conversation/discourse rather than simple posts like 'first' or your standard troll flame bait material.

Regardless, i agree, there has been some interesting back and forth and quite civilized.

Thanks for dropping by Mark, hope you come back

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Why is it considered a tree house? Its foundation is on the ground.

[...] The ultimate tree house. I built one of these with my dad when I was young with just a hammer and 2×4’s. [...]

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[...] The Ultimate Tree House. [...]

Very well thought out comment! Do people really need to live in houses this big?? The average house square footage has more than doubled since the 50s. And this house has a square footage that is quite a bit above the average. To call that "in perfect harmony with its surroundings" is a bit pretentious IMHO.

@ richard : it sure wouldnt be much of preservation of natural landscape if he just leveled the ground and built 3 storey house with observatory on top of it, olympic pool and garage for 10 cars , because that is what rich people with no respect for nature would do. All i see is trees everywhere left standing .
House is cool, wish there was more pics….

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Yeah this looks like an amazing house I would die to live there..

wow! very future-RUSTIC

[...] of Note From the Show Timbers TV Spot Is Cool Viva Cupcake Jones! Funky Treehouse in Portland [...]

totally agree. the interior is pretty awful. love the space though!

http://trendzinfo.blogspot.com/

hmm… it just makes me dizzy.