Cheetah Print Cabin
Cheetah Cabin combines design (form), craft (fabrication) while utilizing the fundamentals of basic wood construction. The aim of the project is to investigate interiority + materiality as a means of interrogating lightness, visibility, and exactitude in the context of fabrication and construction by discovering a new type of threshold form (line between inside and outside). The cabin establishes a relationship between tradition (material + construction) and technology (computation) that enables the architecture to disappear into the surroundings. The exterior form was adjusted to accommodate multiple users in addition to increasing the seamless relationship with the wooden landscape.
A computational model was developed for material performance, and was heavily informed by those parameters. Working with readily available off-the shelf kit-of-parts, the design evaluates the surrounding terrain for clues toward peak performance. The cabin structure is a "waffle" design of treated plywood, spaced to accommodate 4' snow loads (as studied in the full scale mock-up). The roof mimics the terrain, and ascends in a variety of positions to shed snow and reduce wind stress.
The design for assembling the structure was informed by the mock-up which was built of the same form by a team of 5 college students. The simple interlocking skeleton can be hand assembled with minimal tools. The simple parametric design with basic fabrication procedures the cabin can be constructed in one week.
The Cabin's lightness is measured in both the quality of the form, in addition to its minimal 35 sf footprint. The 165sf interior features 2 beds with storage, desk, bookshelves, with integrated seating area, and covered entrance. Two people can stand easily inside at the stove, while the roof lowers over the sleeping area to maximize heat. The interior materials are made from treated plywood, and rice paper for transparency to the waffle structure. The plywood shall be cut from a CNC mill, both structure and interior finishes, and the assembled onsite for easy construction. The exterior is clad in local wood sheathing.
The project questions the nature of building, and how tradition has informed a new wave of innovation. Cheetah Cabin blurs the line between tradition and technology fostering a new model for sustainable and efficient building.
(Competitor's text)
7 scanned / 6 viewable
- Digital Model
- Digital Model
- Plan
- Elevation
- Section
- Perspective
