So the lease on your apartment’s just about up? Looking for a new place that’s local and eco-friendly, one that revives (and realizes) childhood dreams? Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but how about building a treehouse in one of the parks?

You could totally do it. Just get in touch with baumraum, a German treehouse-engineering firm. For real. They’ve already designed and built several personalized / posh structures and maybe — just maybe! — they might be able to help out with your housing predicament.

They say:
We can design and construct a treehouse to suit your own individual wishes and the available setting — you decide on the size, shape, height of the house and its fittings and furnishings. Your treehouse can have a horizontal or upright design, with two or more levels, or even consist of several interconnected constructions at different heights. (Beowulf’s Note: I’m so building mine to look like a hamster tube city!) A treehouse can be constructed in almost any tree. The size and height of the treehouse is determined by the stability, health and properties of the tree or trees to be used.

Bad news, though: baumraum operates exclusively in Europe at the moment and offers no price range estimate on their site. Which means, of course, “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” And besides, the city probably won’t appreciate you building a treehouse on public property. But if you do construct yourself a new apartment, be sure you at least pull up the ladder at night. Or maybe create a maze on the ground below. Minotaur or no minotaur, that should ward off burglars and squatters for a while.