Cabin Stu!os In The Landscape
Feldman Architecture, Inc.
Windswept Weathered Wood’s Eco-friendly siding was used exclusively for all the exterior elevations. The look compliments the ethos of this environmental treasure.
Feldman intended for the architecture to speak softly, as a quiet intervention in the landscape. The design is understated but warm, and preserves the natural feel of the site.
The clients are “creative and passionate people with a deep appreciation of where they live," Hook says. Everything from the roofline to the material choices has a cheery lightness meant to reflect the personalities of the owners.
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Inside the first cabin, which serves as a private yoga studio, the entire south wall opens to the hillside, embracing the trees and sunshine.
Feldman used natural gaps between trees to select locations for the cabins. The structures look like discoveries rather than impositions on the landscape.
The ascent from the main house to the cabins was designed to reflect and respect the special uses of the cabins by concealing them behind a redwood tree-lined pathway. “These cabins are sacred places for the clients to create their work, so the transition from the main house was very important,� Hook says. Only once the visitor reaches the cabins are they truly presented.
“Anything living thrives on attention,” Hook says, but “I strive to provide a garden where the maintenance is a labor of love and not a constant toil.” Understanding sitespecific microclimates makes plant selection easier and ensures a design will be more in sync with the site. Hook stresses that a plant palette naturally adapted to the environment is likely to require less maintenance and be more successful.
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Hook applied aspects of Mill Valley’s Mount Tamalpais to her design. From the vegetation of the mountain to the boulderstrewn terrain, the overall site reflects the flora of the mountain and Marin as a whole.
“I take an educated and intuitive approach to the systems at play, whether it’s soils, slopes, grand trees or remarkable vegetation, or the orientation to the sun,” Hook says. “I see the roof as a microcosm of the slopes of Mount Tam. The design became a living mosaic, representing the variety of plants and plant communities on Mount Tam.”
The roof's role in both the landscape and architecture of the site and design is a unique aspect of this project. Because of the necessary terracing, the roof of the lower cabin (the yoga studio), is the initial site experience.
http://www.feldmanarchitecture.com
Glen Ehrhardt,
Business Development
Windswept Weathered Wood PO Box 59 Lakebay, WA 98349 p. (253) 884-6255 f. (253) 884-6256 email windswept.rep@gmail.com web www.windsweptweatheredwood.com
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