Thanks all for responding. I have since decided to move the hut from the original spot, which was much too close to the tree (like right next to it). What I was going to do was dig a foundation about a foot into the ground and fill it with stones/gravel, and then place boulders on top of the gravel at ground level. The reason I even thought there was a chance the roots might not be an issue is that digging a foot down might leave the roots untouched. But, I realized that the roots closest to the tree were closer to the surface than I had anticipated. Also, I found out that the tree was only about 25-30 years old, despite its surprising size and I assumed would grow at a faster rate than an older tree. The new spot is about 20 feet away from the tree and should be safe; for both the hut and the tree. Unfortunately, I never gave myself a chance to get started on it. Now I'm going to school full time and the cold is setting in. I'll be waiting til next spring before I start it up again.
