Everyone has dreams – children dream of becoming veterinarians and firefighters, teenagers dream of fame, fortune, and freedom, and many adults wish for a house remodel to make the home of their dreams a reality. Every day Olson & Jones Construction makes some of those grown-up wishes come true, but this last year they decided to do more.

Once Upon A Time

In the spring of 2009 the Oregon Remodeling Association approached Olson and Jones with a dream to build a Swiss Family Robinson inspired tree house. The structure would be sold at their opening night benefit auction at the Home Improvement Show with the proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon. Greg Olson jumped at the chance to be involved, and the process of making a dream into reality began.

Motivation

This tree house was about more than a play structure – everyone involved with the project was inspired by the mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and it made working on the project a privilege. The Make-A-Wish Foundation has a dream of it’s own: to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Olson & Jones crewmembers worked after hours, and some family members even pitched in to help get the house assembled in time.

Trees Have Dreams Too

Paolo Design Group drew up a unique set of plans that fused modern design with a child’s imagination. The tree house would be a modular, three level structure complete with a balcony and slide. As initial assembly progressed in the Olson and Jones parking lot, it became clear that the trees originally planned for the structure would not work. At the last minute this tree house was without a tree! The answer came from a tree with a dream of its own. An Olson & Jones employee happened upon a downed tree in SW Portland knocked over in the massive windstorm of June ’09. The downed tree was directly in the path of an oncoming sub development, and at some point in its life it must have wished for a better ending. It was rescued from the impending fate of becoming decorative wood chips to being incorporated into the tree house design as a supporting column.

The Traveling Tree House Finds A Permanent Home

After an appearance at the Oregon State Fair in Salem, the tree house was transported back to Portland and reassembled in the Oregon Convention Center as the centerpiece of the Home Improvement Show Benefit Auction. A family with five tree house-aged children purchased the Tree House of Dreams, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation received a generous donation to grant more wishes.

Olson & Jones wishes to thank all the designers, builders, suppliers, and friends and family for making this a meaningful project.