LITTLE COBBLE - COLORADO
Size: 800 SF Guest Cabin
Objective: Efficient 2br/ 2ba to serve as first of 3 structures on lot
Challenges/Opportunities: Limit disruption to the surrounding forest, achieve privacy from the future main residence and adjacent road. Quintessential “cabin in the woods” setting provides a contrasting but complementary site experience to the more exposed, view panoramas of the main house location.
Solution: Pavilion-style layout allows for as little valuable square footage as possible to be lost to circulation. Inside or outside, the privacy level of the quadrants respond to the adjacent forest and site elements. A simple “L” shaped pyramid-hip roof with 4-foot eaves keeps snow and sun from the base of the floor-to-ceiling glazing allowing for the 800 square feet to feel more voluminous in height while making the forest feel like part of the room. In lieu of a garage (which would have counted toward square footage) a sheltered car-port allows for a generous, single parking spot and outdoor workbench.
What is “different”: The bisecting stone walls are 3’ thick with “cut-ins” for elements like the kitchen range area, entry coat closet, living room couch, bathroom sink, and master exposed closet rods/shelves. Composition of the walls are cobbles from the valley (matching those from the site), CMU, and spray foam insulation. Insulation on the exterior of the out layer of CMU and under the in-floor heated slab include most of the stone and concrete within the thermal envelope for incredible passive thermal performance. Operable transoms on opposing walls in all rooms provide more than ample cooling on even the hottest summer days. Steel lintels not only frame passages through the stone walls but also define the upper edge of the utilitarian cut-ins.
Deliverables: Photo-realistic animation with geo-referenced terrain and tree placements. Thorough construction documents and details with substantial construction oversight and co-ordination with subcontractors. Collaboration with interior design firm Cabine Projects for comprehensive project design and implementation.
