LA city hall orders destruction of "bamboo masterpiece" treehouse

Mark Frauenfelder 1:11 pm Thu Sep 12, 2013

The widow of a man who built a bamboo treehouse in Venice, CA says her complaint about the proliferation of "McMansions" in her neighborhood led to an order from the City of LA to demolish the beloved structure.

The treehouse serves as the favorite hangout spot of his grandchildren and neighborhood kids. But on May 22, Eileen Erickson received a two-page letter from the Department of Building and Safety ordering her to “demolish” it. She faces substantial fines and possible imprisonment if she fails to comply with the instructions.

She has since received support from some 450 people who have signed a petition in favor of preserving the treehouse, and City Councilman Mike Bonin’s staff offered to help her “navigate through the system” that identified 17 related code violations.

The City of Los Angeles wants to demolish a 10-year-old bamboo masterpiece treehouse (Thanks, Matthew!)

Dan Pauly's charming Storybook style shacks

I love Storybook architecture, so Dan Pauley's whimsical shacks appeal to me. READ THE REST
The "Lollipop Fort of Death" – a clubhouse on a pole

Dig Derek “Deek” Diedricksen’s dangerous digs! Make: Deek’s Lollipop Fort of Death READ THE REST
Timelapse movie of building a shed

Building the Shed from RH on Vimeo. Ryan Haskell says: I'm trying to install the maker ethos in my kids. When the need came up for a garden shed, rather… READ THE REST
Short Post, just one paragraph

Dessert cheesecake wafer bear claw fruitcake. Fruitcake chupa chups donut candy canes marzipan. Apple pie sweet roll tart chocolate cake macaroon marshmallow carrot cake gummi bears sweet. Pastry sugar plum… READ THE REST
Save 50% on a 1-year subscription to Dashlane's premium password manager

We all know vital information about ourselves and our private digital accounts can be compromised by cybercriminals. However, many would be frightened to know just how compromised they and their… READ THE REST
The Bite Helper removes the itch of a mosquito bite in seconds

While mosquitoes have certainly earned their title as the deadliest animal on earth, their impact on most of our lives is usually a lot less consequential. But even though they… READ THE REST