Finca Bellavista tree houses aren’t like the backyard tree houses of childhood days. These are custom-built, turnkey, livable homes that are fully immersed in the Costa Rican rainforest.
Treehouse interior at Finca Bellavista
Though tree houses are arboreal in nature, many of the processes and procedures of creating a home in the Finca Bellavista community are similar to building a home anywhere else in the world. However, there are challenges inherent in designing and building a treehouse that adapts to the rainforest environment, within the the oversight of numerous governing bodies. The Finca Bellavista Construction team is familiar with every process necessary in designing and building in this rugged environment, and has a world-class crew available to assist in any project.
The entirety of the Finca Bellavista community’s infrastructure was completed by Team FBV, and includes all community buildings, suspension bridges, roads, trails, stormwater management, and zip line and canopy platforms. In addition, the majority of tree houses that dot the Finca Bellavista skyline were designed and built by our team of knowledgeable builders.
Treehouse construction at Finca Bellavista
Finca Bellavista Construction offers start to finish treehouse and stilt-built home design and construction. For owners that want to be more involved in the construction of their treehouse, we offer planning, build, and procurement assistance. Our team takes a great deal of pride in creating an intelligent and low-impact design, working with Mother Nature in order to create very unique dwellings in the rainforest.
From custom site design to moving a project forward through the various stages of permitting, materials procurement and construction, we are here to help you build your dream and deliver it within budget. The sky’s the limit!
Site Planning
First things first – before building a treehouse, a perfect site needs to be selected. The parcels at Finca Bellavista range from 1/4 acre to 3 acres. After selecting the perfect parcel, determining where to build will be dependent upon the type of lot selected (garden, forest, riverfront), its location within the community, access and egress, elevations and site contours. We recommend having a tree inventory performed, to identify potential host trees. Once an owner hones in on a zone of host trees, a botanist can further inspect the trees for suitability, assessing root and structural stability, life expectancy, growth patterns, and insect or limb damage. Occasionally, a desired tree has to be omitted from consideration, so its best to wait on designing a treehouse until this final inspection is performed.
Design
Once the perfect site is selected, then the real fun begins. Tree houses are like snowflakes – no two are alike! Designing a treehouse in a tree or set of trees is an opportunity to let the imagination get a little wild. While some conventional methods are applied to treehouse design, many atypical methods must also be utilized. The biggest difference between designing a conventional house on the ground versus a treehouse off the ground is consideration of a 3-dimensional building envelope. Exponential possibilities exist within this 3D canvas, which can also be as tall as the trees (some host trees are 200 feet tall!). Designing a functional treehouse that connects the needs and wants of the owner within an existing budget is a tenet of the Finca Bellavista Construction team.
Procurement
Sourcing sustainable, durable, affordable building materials within Costa Rica is a significant process that is often times overlooked. Procurement typically starts several months in advance, to ensure all materials are on site, prepped and ready to go at the start of construction. In tropical climates, bamboo and wood must be harvested during the correct moon cycle to control pest infestations. (Read more about moon management.) As such, suppliers must be trustworthy and knowledgeable. With years of experience organizing regional sources and vendors, Finca Bellavista Construction knows the most dependable, responsible, and reasonable contacts to trust in procurement. We stay on top of scheduling orders and deliveries initiate a seamless build.
Construction
Unlike conventional home construction, when building at Finca Bellavista, the construction process never starts with ‘breaking ground’. Site preparation for arboreal, off-grid construction consists of creating access points (trails, bridges, and other unique features) and installing a home’s bio-digestor and water storage capacity. For a multitude of reasons, scheduling construction for the dry season (December – July) is always recommended to reduce weather delays and expenses. Depending on the complexity of the design and type of build, a build at Finca Bellavista can be as short as 2 months or as long as 8 months. Desired finish details, features and amenities influence the complexity and length of a build.