Wilderness Treehouse Cabins

Built to Look Like a Treehouse, Engineered to Last

Can a treehouse be fully engineered? Yes, and without the need for actual trees! Thanks to General Engineering Company’s (GEC) decades-long partnership with the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI, a one-of-a-kind treehouse cabin concept became a reality at this popular destination.

Designed at the owner’s request, these cabins needed to blend in as if a natural tree was supporting them. To achieve this, GEC’s civil and structural teams were called upon to bring this creative vision to life.

The civil team began by developing site plans for eight treehouse cabins, including utility coordination. The cabins were designed to accommodate large groups and required ADA-compliant sidewalks. Due to the site’s change in grades (land’s contours) and dense wooded environment, creating accessible sidewalks was a challenge. A key objective was also to preserve as many existing trees as possible, helping the treehouse cabins feel immersed “among the trees.”

to achieve the look of a tree-supported cabin without relying on live trees, GEC’s structural team engineered a solution using a single, central steel column to support each cabin. Structural steel framing extends from this column to support the floor system, with angled braces that mimic the appearance of tree branches. This design creates the illusion of a natural tree while providing full structural integrity. A carefully engineered reinforced concrete footing anchors each treehouse cabin column, designed to withstand both gravity and lateral loading forces.

To navigate the unique constraints of the project, extensive collaboration was required between the GEC structural team, architects, and plumbing and mechanical professionals. Special attention was given to integrating piping and ductwork within the trussed floor systems, avoiding conflicts while maintaining functionality. Advanced 3D modeling, using Revit software, played a key role in ensuring precise coordination of all components.

With the success of the Wisconsin Dells treehouse cabins, the Wilderness Resort in Sevierville, TN, has enlisted GEC’s civil and structural expertise to bring treehouse cabins to life at their Smoky Mountains location. The same innovative concepts and engineering expertise – just a beautiful new setting!

Through innovative design and ongoing collaboration, GEC helped transform a whimsical concept into a structurally sound, immersive resort experience. These unique cabins offer families, friends, and groups a memorable place to stay and create lasting memories.

Structural Details:

• Two buildings
  • Main Cabin: 1,200 sq. ft., three-level structure
  • Treehouse: 300 sq. ft elevated retreat, connected to the main cabin via a bridge

Main Cabin Building

• Roof: Wood trusses
• Floors: Wood trusses
• Walls: Wood stud-framed construction
• Foundation: Cast-in-place concrete

Treehouse Building

• Roof: Timber rafters
• Walls: Wood stud-framed construction
• Floor: Wood-framed joists over a structural steel frame, supported by a braced mono-pole
• Foundation: Cast-in-place concrete

GEC Civil Services

• Site design / Grading (retaining walls incorporated into the site design)
• Water/sewer
• Stormwater design
• Roadway design
• Parking lot layout/design – along with ADA-compliant sidewalks

Unique Aspects About the Project 

• Cabin exterior design was based off of The Little Rascals
• Cabin #4 has a mini golf putting area to enjoy practicing your skills with family and friends

Collaborations With:

• Holtz Builders (building construction, construction manager)
• Allen Steele (site construction: utilities, retaining walls, tree removal, and storm/sewer)
• ADCI (Architects)