‘Tree shaping’ is the art of growing trees and roots into things like bridges, chairs, “people trees”, ladders, fences, jungle gyms, tunnels, and, theoretically, could even be used to grow homes.
Tree Shaping: Growing Living Bridges, Chairs & Homes
Forget woodworking. Some people skip the saw entirely and grow their furniture directly from the ground.
Tree shaping—also called arborsculpture—is the practice of training living trees into functional structures like bridges, chairs, ladders, and even buildings. Instead of cutting down a tree to build something, practitioners spend years carefully guiding branches and roots as they grow, creating objects that remain alive and continue strengthening over time.
Living Bridges That Last 500 Years
The most stunning examples are in Meghalaya, India, where the Khasi and Jaiñtia peoples have been growing bridges from rubber fig tree roots for centuries. They guide the tree's aerial roots across rivers—sometimes through hollowed-out palm trunks to direct them—and wait.
It takes about 15 years for a root bridge to become fully functional. But once mature, these living structures can hold 50+ people at once and last for 500+ years. As long as the tree stays healthy, the bridge naturally self-repairs and grows stronger. There are 72 of these living root structures still standing in Meghalaya, some dating back half a millennium.
In 2022, UNESCO added them to its tentative World Heritage Sites list—recognition of what might be humanity's most elegant infrastructure hack.
Growing Your Own Chair (Just Wait 6 Years)
Modern tree shapers have proven you can grow more than bridges. The big question: can you grow furniture?
In 1987, Australian Peter Cook wondered the same thing. He started experimenting, eventually partnering with Becky Northey to form Pooktre, now among the world's most acclaimed tree-shaping practices. They've successfully grown:
- Chairs (take 2-3 years to form, 4-6 years before you can sit in them)
- Ladders with naturally formed rungs
- Double-helix sculptures
- Human-sized cages you can step inside
- Tables, frames, and tool handles
In England, Gavin Munro's Full Grown project grows entire chairs and lampshades from trees. Instead of harvesting lumber and assembling pieces, he shapes young trees into furniture forms, then harvests the completed object years later.
The first known grown chair was created by John Krubsack, who harvested it in 1914 after years of patient grafting and shaping.
From Circus Trees to 3-Story Towers
This isn't new. In the 19th century, Axel Erlandson opened California's "Tree Circus," displaying over 70 shaped trees with twisted trunks, braided branches, and impossible geometries. His techniques remained mysterious (he was famously secretive), but they inspired generations of modern practitioners.
Today's projects are getting ambitious. As of April 2024, the University of Stuttgart completed a nine-meter-tall living tower made entirely from white willows—a three-story structure grown from living trees.
Could You Grow a House?
Theoretically, yes. The technique combines several horticultural practices:
- Grafting – fusing branches from different trees
- Bending – training young, flexible wood into shapes
- Inosculation – encouraging branches to fuse naturally where they touch
- Pleaching – weaving branches together
These methods work with the tree's natural growth rather than forcing it. Nothing is damaged—the tree stays healthy and strong while forming whatever shape you guide it toward.
People have already made tunnels, archways, jungle gyms, and fences. A living house would just scale up the same principles. It would take decades, require extensive planning, and probably need some non-living materials for weatherproofing. But the core structure? Totally possible.
The real limit isn't biology—it's patience. Most tree-shaping projects take 5-15 years minimum. That's a long time to wait for a chair, let alone a house.
Still, when your furniture can live for 500 years and improve with age, maybe it's worth the wait.