"Most Cutting Edge Treehouse"

Received word from our 3rd Plan Submital and although we still have 3 corrections to go (started with over 30 corrections) the Architectural and Engineer plans have been approved! 

I knew I was getting into a big project when I started the Lovers Treehouse project but it wasn't until the other day that my architect (the architect for Treehouse Masters and The Treehouse Guys) said 

         - "Your project is as cutting edge as any that have been done"

So what does it mean when I say the architectural and engineer plans have been approved, it means we'll have the advantage of the following elements:

1. Having trees live throughout the house without having window's or doors covering them!  This means, you'll be able to live in the home, while living with the tree (touchable)

2. Able to have a structure completely supported by a tree without any ground supports! 

3. Able to build a smaller sqft home by adding a bridge to calculate the sqft and keep true to the treehouse feel

4. Our years of work have pushed the county to create a treehouse building system.  This means building tree houses in the county of San Bernardino will be much easier from this point forward.  Moving the Treehouse Movement forward ;)



We still have 3 corrections, one of them being that the tree's be tested by an instrument and technology called Picus Sonic Tomography.  This test is a non-invasive one that uses sound to detect interior tree decay.  

So we're not quite in the clear, until we can prove that the inside of our tree's are in fact healthy...  

We've made big strides up to this point, and the Picus Sonic test will be a biggy for us (fingers crossed)

Minor Variance Approved!

Moving Forward

Constantly inching our way towards the build and for the 1st time in while it feels that we are making bigger strides than normal ;)

Update #1
We had proposed a minor variance for the width of the treehouse - the code was requiring to make the structure much larger and wider, thus taking away from the authenticity of a treehouse.  After some time, we received confirmation that the minor variance was accepted

Update #2
Waiting to hear back on the 3rd Submittal that we turned into the county.  Best news we've heard back yet - the biggest hurdle which is the architectural and engineer approval, is a go!  The county now just has to see how to set up a system for the future health of a treehouse (seeing as there isn't a treehouse in that county and we're paving the way)  Whoever wants to build a treehouse next in this jurisdiction, will have it MUCH easier - your welcome ;)  The other correction is that our parking is in the road right of way, and so we're pulling the permit on that ;)  And the last thing the county would like to see is a sonogram on the tree that will contain the meditation pod (the structure in the tree, without any ground supports)  Time to put in a call to Scott Baker in WA, and see what we can get together..... SO CLOSE!

Closer & Closer to the Build....

With our 3rd Submittal last week, we are now waiting to hear (and crossing our fingers) that this will be the last round of corrections.  In case your just starting to follow, let me give you the quick version of building in San Bernardino County.

1. Buy the land

2. Submit plans and all needed documents (in our case apply for a major variance - since our property is so unconventional)

3. Wait to hear back and if there are corrections, correct and resend (over 25 corrections on our project...)

4. Wait to hear back and if there are corrections, correct and resend (we cut out a few and had 12 corrections to go;) Aaaaand, in our case apply for an additional minor variance (since we're unconventional)

Real time: we are in the waiting stage after the 3rd submittal and crossing our fingers that this is the last set of corrections.  If so, we'll receive our permit and we'll hit the ground running!  Venture Yours is tying up all the loose ends to get this CA treehouse ready for all our travelers; stay tuned!

Latest Design - After Corrections Back from County

Sneak preview to the latest design!  Features include - metal main structure, a rock climbing wall, a bridge to the meditation pod, 4 tree treehouse.  So much fun to play with; will continue to keep you updated with the county's response to this playful dream!

Thoughts I have...

We received the 2nd review from the county; crossed off lots of corrections, and have about 10 more to work with.  Originally, we had 25 corrections so it feels like we're getting somewhere ;)  As time gets closer to build, I begin to think of how I will logistically be managing the build...  After managing The Gypsy Wagon build, I know I will have to be physically available to make decisions and keep the work flow going.  But how will I manage a 2 year old getting to daycare while my husband is spending the night at the fire station and Lovers Treehouse is 1.5 hrs away (without traffic)...

So... I don't quite have a solution, although I haven't put much thought into it either, but I did get side tracked and began to think of management work flow on site....  I like things done fast and efficiently (although "fast" has not been a word I would describe Lovers Treehouse so far...)  I need to finish daily work "to-do's" for my Real Estate Business (so I need a desk space for my computer) I also want to be able to step on site if builders have any questions (meaning my desk space should be on site)  And if my work space is going to be on site, why not just have my sleeping space on site as well?  My initial thought - I can build another tiny house... reality check - an added project that I'm not going to have time or space for.  Buuut, the tiny house idea is a good one - computer space on site, I'm available to builders and I can sleep there ;)

I began to search for tiny houses, and came across this site that has pre-fabbed homes.  The home, I'm looking at, takes about 3 days to build and I can build on a trailer (could be movable for future projects ;)  http://www.archedcabins.com/

Thoughts I have...

Corrections Corrections Corrections

After a long journey of a Major Variance, we submit designs.  We we're expecting quite a bit of corrections from the county on this "not so conventional home"... Treehouse... and our expectations were pretty spot on.  Right around 25 corrections from the county is what we received... (sort of comical)  Architect and Engineer are on it and we are searching for a way to please the code, yet stay true to a treehouse ;)  Designs to come soon ;)

We Fired Our Parking Engineer...

So, yep that happened....

Bottom line - It was like pulling teeth to get anything concrete to submit to the county... and 1 day she lost it.

So here I am... singing in the car, stopping at fruit stands, heading to Lover's Treehouse site - feeling pretty light and breezy.  I arrive to the site, and the owner of the company (We'll call her Lisa) meets me there with an employee (we'll call him Dan)  Now, the owner has been known to talk bad about people here and there, but never foresaw the following...

I am up on the top/back of the lot, and I can hear a neighbor asking Lisa to be careful climbing the retaining because it is deteriorating.  Lisa must have been having a bad day because she instantly went off on this neighbor... (which really doesn't help our case, seeing that not all the neighbors are stoked we're building a treehouse)  Lisa began yelling at her, told her to "get," started shooing her away, called her a hillbilly...  and the words kept coming out of her mouth!  She got in her car, left angrily and left Dan behind.... I was in complete shock and knew I didn't want to work with that type of energy, nor did I want to bring that energy to the surrounding neighbors.  And so she was let go...

The happy ending:  We are now working with Kadtec and our contact has been on top of it!  Talking with the county, making things happen and will have a plan to us soon ;)

Till next time ;)