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Topic: Outdoor Structures



Date Posted: Thursday, November 13, 2014
Posted by: Tanya Zanfa (Master Admin)
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/carroll-gardens-man-...


Carroll Gardens man builds treehouse, might rent it on Airbnb


Carroll Gardens man builds treehouse, might rent it on Airbnb

The coolest treehouse in Brooklyn just might be available for rent.

A Carroll Gardens eco-builder is toying with the notion of putting his brand new two-story, open-air dream playhouse on Airbnb.

“People would love it, they'd eat it up!" Gennaro Brooks-Church said of renting the wooden structure.

“If they paid me enough and the neighbors were OK with it I'd put a gambling casino in it — if it’s legal.”

Brooks-Church, 43, built the treehouse — first reported by DNAInfo — out of wood from a demolished Midtown water tower. The floor has panes of thick glass he found in a dumpster. And a small ladder was once a railing on a customer's roof.

The extraordinary structure wrapped with vines overlooks a 4-foot-deep self-filtering swimming hole Brooks-Church also built himself.

NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiTODD MAISEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSGennaro Brooks-Church, a Carroll Gardens eco-builder is toying with the notion of putting his brand new two-story, open-air dream playhouse on AirBnB. He is pictured with (L-R) daughter Saomi, 11, son Zapata, 2 and son Cazimir, 6.

Unsurprisingly, his three kids love it.

“I'm king of the lakehouse!” his 6-year-old son Cazimir screamed.

“We do homework in the treehouse though we never end up doing any because we get distracted,” his daughter, Saomi, 11, said.

Brooks-Church, who runs his own design company, Eco Brooklyn, said he built the treehouse — which is actually among several trees — to be a bit of a challenge for his children.

“It’s not easy to climb up. I did that on purpose to push their limits,” he said.

NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiTODD MAISEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS'I'm king of the lakehouse!' his wild 6-year-old Cazimir screamed.

“I want to foster a love of nature, imagination. I think a lot of us suffer from a lack of that.”

The project, which was leisurely completed over the summer, is far from over.

Brooks-Church plans to add a pond under the treehouse, an outdoor shower and a set of stairs. Saomi is lobbying for a hot tub and trampoline, as well.

“The goal is that in the spring and summer it will be engulfed in greenery. I want it to be invisible,” Brooks-Church said.

A spokesman for the Department of Buildings could offer no insight on the legality of possibly renting a treehouse.

The extraordinary structure wrapped with vines overlooks a four-foot-deep self-filtering swimming hole Brooks-Church also built himself.TODD MAISEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSThe extraordinary structure wrapped with vines overlooks a four-foot-deep self-filtering swimming hole Brooks-Church also built himself.

"The Department of Buildings encourages individuals to report structures that they believe to be in violation of the building code or zoning resolution for inspection," a spokesman said.

The treehouse could fall under the city’s playground equipment provision, which does not require a permit.

So far, the neighbors are cool with the crazy crib, he said.

"Those kids over there got treehouse envy," he joked, pointing at children gawking in an adjacent yard.  



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