SHED Architects are responsible for the creation of this small wooden shelter that complements a larger home on the site, located in Seattle, Washington. To create harmony between the guest cabin and the main house, the architects focused on a design solution informed by restraint, material relationship, and attention to detail.
This small black pine cabin encompasses just 404 square feet of living space. The connection between the home and the lake was to be reinforced to encourage enjoyment of the shoreline and movement between the interior and exterior.
Project Team: Architect: Shed Architects | Contractor: Whelbilt Homes | Structural Engineer: Todd Perbix | Landscape Architect: Alchemie | Landscape Contractor: Ohashi Landscape Services | Interiors: Jennie Gruss
Honoring the past and sound structure of this home, the owners opted to remodel rather than demolish. This included an upgrade to the facade, reinforcement of retaining walls and a general clean-up of the property’s dated design elements.
The cabin encompasses several programmatic elements in one structure, including guest quarters, small refuge for reflection, writing, reading, or homework, boat storage, and garage– all while anchoring the west side of the property to form the space through which a landscape path runs from the street to the water.
The design directive asked for a more exceptional space to occupy, minimal but rich in material relationships exemplified by the material choices, creating a warm and light interior.
The structure borrows its form from the idea of an upturned boat, clad with shou sugi ban siding, and given a white pine interior.
What We Love: This wooden shelter is an idyllic place to host family and friends and also for the owner’s to use as an inspiring writer’s retreat. A large floor-to-ceiling window in this small structure frames mesmerizing lake views while flooding it with natural light. This is the perfect space for both work and relaxation, we love it… how about you?
Tell Us: What do you think of this cabin retreat? Would you find this to be a peaceful place for a weekend getaway? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below!
Note: Take a look at a couple of other fascinating home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of the architects of this home, SHED Architects: Brilliant renovation of a hillside midcentury modern home in Seattle and Japanese Kit House gets reimagined overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
Steel plate was used to define a hearth at the center of the boathouse, creating a divide behind which a bath finished in black milestone was located, opening up to a large skylight. In addition, this cozy cabin contains a kitchenette and a working area.
The interior was finished with pine, custom lighting, and custom garage door brackets to make them less obtrusive in the space. Each necessary component –including the heat exchanger– was painted to match the walls, creating a cohesive, polished space.
This wooden shelter also features an outdoor shower and boat storage area beneath, housing several kayaks and a custom surfboard featuring graphics provided by the architects.
Performance
- Tesla battery chargers
- Efficient heating and cooling
- High-performance GLO windows throughout
Using a series of gussets bent to create a wood skeleton, the cabin borrows structural elements from the boat building, with repetitive wood frames clad again with wood. The dark siding is anchored to the site through a concrete foundation.
Photos: Rafael Soldi
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