Named the “World’s Largest Tree House” by the Travel Channel, these bamboo tree houses (or “hooches”) are nestled among the beautiful rainforests of Rincon, Puerto Rico, just miles from exotic beaches and are a perfect example of the booming trend of ecotourism. .
According to its website, brandy is “a revolutionary and evolutionary building system that changes architectural conventions.” In fact, the brandy holds the record for the smallest base of any building on land. And that’s not just a ploy to get into the Guinness Book of Records; This small base allows for minimal disruption to the environment at the construction site.
The liquor is at a single point and is balanced by a redundant cable system with cables connected to the surrounding trees. Like the bamboo itself, the tree house can retain both its rigidity and its flexibility. It moves on the base, flexing as a unit, but will self-correct with any tension or distortion.
The concept of bamboo tree houses grew out of a lifelong passion for the environment and bamboo. The owners were originally Caribbean sailors, but the need for land soon became apparent. Not only was a second baby on the way, but they had also started a business of their own that focused on building with bamboo. Jo did everything from lamps to bars to shop interiors, and the idea of a bamboo tree house that was eco-friendly and highly sustainable intrigued him.
This need to grow and build them led the family to Rincón, a small surf town on the west coast of Puerto Rico. It took a year to find the perfect location and another seven to clean it up and fix the landscape and perfect its first bamboo design. They have since opened their hooches to guests from all over the world and recently even dismantled one to take with them as they took a gap year up north to spend time in the cold weather for a while.
For anyone concerned about the sturdiness of these bamboo tree houses, since they were built in Rincón, they have weathered 3 hurricanes and escaped unscathed. In fact, in April 2006, a feasibility study was initiated to determine whether the brandy could be used as a possible safe dwelling for residents in areas susceptible to tsunamis. The destruction in Indonesia and the likelihood of future tsunamis prompted research among aid organizations to discover safe and effective housing options. Since bamboo has already been used for highly effective earthquake shelters, it only makes sense to look at it for tsunami shelters as well.
The bamboo tree house is the ultimate for ecotourism – not only is it based on the natural resources of the surrounding area, it is designed to be built with minimal disruption.