Seattle | Washington
A 600 sf shelter to provide a place of contemplation without disturbing the beauty of the land. Designed for short term stays, the cabin includes 2 bedrooms, as well as living, kitchen and eating areas.
A 7 acre site with panoramic exposure high on San Juan Island provides the setting for this remote cabin. Much of the site is on large, northwest facing rock edge with views of Trout Lake, Roche Harbor, the Northern San Juans and Victoria.
The client desired a small retreat cabin for casual island living. A National Parks Fire Tower motif was chosen in order to appropriately deal with the ‘lookout’ context of the site. Steel rebar was drilled into the rock, providing reinforcement for sonotube concrete piers, which support the structure.
Reconditioned heavy timber beams were milled and used in a post and beam construction method. Natural finish board and batt siding, fir windows and metal roof protect this structure from winds and rain. Inside, fir floor decking and cedar lined walls within the exposed post and beam framework continue the rustic regional theme.
The kitchen and great room areas focus on a woodstove and the views beyond. Two ladder/stairs serve flanking window-lined loft bedrooms on the upper floor level in addition to a woodstove. The cabin also integrated photovoltaic energy for light and heat.
