Stacked timber
Moving through the forest one experiences a sense of enclosure that results from the embrace of its trees; a comforting quietness that marks the transition of moving between natural and artificial ecologies. The basic elements of the cabin are two monolithically stacked heavy timber walls and the forested pathway that flows through them.
The stacked timber walls are analogous to the enclosure provided by the forest. Their assembly draws on the intelligence of low-tech monolithic frontier shelters. These single material walls function as the building's structure, interior finish, exterior finish, water barrier, insulation, and thermal mass. This simple stacked assembly results in quickened construction times that can be performed by non-specialized labor forces. The timbers are then post tensioned back down with threaded steel rods that allows the users to tune the building as its timbers shrink over time. Future iterations of this project could be sourced directly form the farm, further reducing material costs and environmental impacts. Bracing the timber walls are light weight, wood framed walls that host openings which direct movement through the building. One enters through the north wall of the building that also host a space for a queen fold-down bed. The south wall of the building hosts two inward swinging casement windows that open to expose the full width of the south façade. These windows extend visual movement through the cabin and optimize solar gains which are in turn stored within the thermal mass of the heavy timber walls.
The second component of the design is the element of the path that moves through the forest and leads you up and into the cabin. The path provides a ramp that lifts you into the cabin and is formed by shaping the soil excavated to dig the columns that lift the cabin off the ground. By placing the building on columns excavation costs are reduced and the amount of disruption to the site is kept to a minimum. Adjacent to the ramp is a ladder the lifts you on to the roof and into the canopy of the trees that provides views back down onto the path taken to get the cabin. This also provides access the PV panel situated on southern roof segment of the cabin.
(Competitor's text)
7 scanned / 6 viewable
- Site Plan
- Perspective
- Plan
- Elevation
- Section
- Axonometric Drawing
