THE MULBERRY TREE HOUSE

Zenko and Janine Vukelic are the first people in Australia to be experimenting with growing their home from mulberry trees. Biotecture is not a new concept — rather, it’s a common practice in north-east India, where living bridges grown from aerial roots of rubber trees have been supporting river crossings for hundreds of years, becoming stronger and larger with time.

Some tree species grow by the natural process of inosculation. This is when the branches and roots grow into each other, becoming one (it’s biologically similar to grafting). Another example is a strangler fig naturally forming a netlike weave by growing into itself. This behaviour can be