photograph by Gunnar Conrad

The client requested a non-traditional design for his Colorado site that was sustainable and fire-resistant.  The wooded site is 7,500 feet above sea level and faces west across a glacial river valley that heads south into Durango .  The resulting minimal, yet rustic, cabin is 24' feet square with a 12' deck and 12' interior, creating an oppositional balance between interior and exterior spaces.  The recessed base becomes a way of emphasizing the estranged relationship between the man-made and natural world by visually cutting off any physical connection between the building and the earth.  Two entry doors counter-balance any traditional, central symmetry and formally suggest a human presence reflecting on the view.  From this 24’ square volume there are two north-south gouges that form the porch and rear, horizontal window.  This formal gesture of carving reflects the formation of the adjacent glacial valley that itself was carved by ice more than a millennium before.

Whenever possible the cabin utilizes sustainable construction materials and local suppliers:  sustainably harvested framing lumber; low-VOC plywood and paints, lime-based exterior plaster; mud-based interior plaster; finish carpentry is constructed from downed trees on property; interior aspen paneling is locally sourced; fly-ash concrete; reclaimed and refurbished plumbing fixtures; linoleum flooring, point-of-use water heater; eco-resin doors; and an efficient wood stove.

The cabin features a non-combustible exterior plaster stucco, metal roof and metal fire shutters to increase its fire-resistance.  Local officials approved a non-vented roof with spray-on, icynene insulation which reduces the possibility of hot gasses entering the vulnerable roof cavity.