Elven Tree Homes

Typical elven homes are build to complement the surrounding forests, and often go so far as to incorporate the trees themselves. Dorei contains some of the oldest and most impressive examples of this, with homes that consist entirely of a tree trained to create a structure.
Homes rarely change hands, and elven families live in them for generations. As the family grows in size, so does the tree, providing space for new rooms. The oldest, most influential families tend to have the largest tree homes, first built into young trees centuries ago and gradually added to over time.

Architecture

Most often built high up in the trees, before a structure is planned, first a tree must be selected. Large, long lived varieties are best, homes built into smaller species or shorter lived trees are generally considered temporary by elf standards. An established, younger tree is ideal, with a good branching structure for dwellings and walkways.
A home is carefully designed to complement the structure of an existing tree, and then built out with beams and carved into the tree itself. The home is carefully tended to while the tree heals, with supporting beams placed strategically to encourage the tree to grow into the shape of the home. Once the desired structure is achieved, the supporting beams are usually not necessary, and are removed. A finished home may take a century to complete, and the tree that forms the home is constantly tended to in order to keep it healthy and maintain the structure.
Each room in the home is built into a different part of the tree, so as to not put too much stress on any single point. Rooms are added as needed and as the tree grows, constructing only one room at a time and allowing the tree to heal before continuing construction. Elaborate spiral staircases, platforms and walkways connect different rooms in a home or neighboring structures together. These are often moved and repaired as the tree grows.

Type

House