A house of the trees.

Imagine living inside a haven of intertwined branches and reading a book on a chair of bark. Wake up in an insulated home, where firewood and fruit could be found without going outside. Richard Reames, author and "arborsculptor," says a livable house grown from trees is both possible and practical.

"If it's done right, a real living house that is weather-tight could be grown," says Reames. "Its insulation value would go up every year as the trees matured."

At Arborsmith Studios, Reames' hybrid tree nursery in southern Oregon, he plants and sculpts hundreds of trees. When held in place for years, saplings will stay in a preconceived shape. By binding trees together, after shaving off some bark, the trees grow together from the point where they fuse. Reames has sculpted trees into peace signs, benches, and houses.

His work, along with that of other arborsculptors was featured at The Growing Village Pavilion, part of World Expo 2005. The expo, held in Aichi, Japan, featured 125 participating countries from around the world.

"Just the act of planting a tree is the one of the most important ecological acts anyone can undertake," says Reames. "Trees take in CO2, a greenhouse gas, and give off oxygen. They hold the soil in place, cool the air, and provide shelter and food for wildlife. When people start to nurture trees their whole attitude toward the environment becomes benevolent."