New Home Community Grows in the Treetops of Costa Rica

[M II A II R II K]

A (Seriously) Rustic New Home Community Grows in the Treetops of Costa Rica


February 17, 2011

By Nigel F. Maynard



Read More: http://www.builderonline.com/project...-treetops.aspx

Website: http://www.fincabellavista.net/

As far as burgeoning residential communities go, Finca Bellavista sounds like pretty standard stuff. The project is located on a 350-acre site; it is selling lots; and it has five houses and about 24 buildings, including a community center and other support structures, and other houses in various stages of construction. But this is no ordinary community in some suburban or even exurban location. Finca Bellavista is a sustainable treehouse community that’s sprouting on the southern coast of Costa Rica.

Founded “accidentally” by Erica and Matt Hogan, Finca Bellavista began as a mere search for property for a little vacation home but blossomed into a full-scale endeavor. “The idea was to create something simple, nothing too complicated, maybe a fixer-upper surf shack or a bungalow in the rainforest,” Erica says. “We had a Top 10 list to explore, and on my 29th birthday we looked at a few places, eventually landing at what would later become Finca Bellavista.”

After the couple kicked around ideas on how to afford the then 62-acre property, they came up with the idea to do a treehouse, and Erica “wondered out loud if friends or other people might be interested in going in on the property cost to make it more financially feasible, and maybe they would like to build a treehouse, too.” Erica continues, “I remember saying ‘remember the Ewok village from "Return of the Jedi"? Why don’t we do that?’”

Today the community consists of 300-plus acres (the couple sold lots to pay for the purchase of additional land) of secondary rainforest and reclaimed pasture and is billed as the world’s first planned, modern, sustainable treehouse community. The real estate adage about location still applies, as the site is situated near national parks, beaches, whitewater rivers, hiking trails, and “mountainscapes.”

.....

[Lecom]

That's it. I'm moving to Costa Rica.

[ColDayMan]

I'm moving next door to you. That conch sink alone...

[The North One]

That would be so cool! just imagine waking up in a treehouse in the middle of a rainforest and all that fresh air!

only two problems I see, one, BUGS! nuff said, next heating and cooling, I don't know about you but I HATE the heat. there better be some kind of system there.

[MolsonExport]

Insanely cool. World's greatest treehouses.

[M II A II R II K]

And things crawling in making themselves at home.

[KevinFromTexas]

That's awesome, but what about lightning? I'd be "shaking like a leaf."

[Roadcruiser1]

I am sure they would have lightning rods. Kind of like those in a big skyscraper. My question is the danger a fire would have on this house. If you lived in this, and you house caught fire you would be killed faster then you can say anything. Plus it would set the tree on fire so you would be setting your neighbor's tree, and house on fire which would turn into a massive forest fire. It's literally a massive fire hazard.

[MolsonExport]

Where are the Navi?

[eaguir3]

I would be naked all day

[vanman]

A serious question: What about the monkeys?