This angular vacation cabin, all 800 sf of it, serves as an accessible weekend retreat for an active professional couple who jet off to Japan professionally, and race bicycles in velodromes in their spare time. Nestled deep in a ravine within steps of the Hood Canal waterfront, the cabin is perched on four massive concrete columns and accessed by a motorized stair that can be lifted like a drawbridge for security when the owners are away. Light floods into the living spaces through a Mondrian-inspired corner window yielding 16′ high views of forest tree trunks and the placid waters of the Canal.
The escapist yearnings of the clients are reflected in the unusual material choices - clear-sealed cedar siding abuts eggplant-hued fiber cement panels on the exterior. Brought inside, the same eggplant paint contrasts elegantly with clear-sealed birch plywood panels. These panels are fixed to the walls with stainless steel finish screws and washers, yielding a subtle sparkling pattern in geometric counterpart to the figured grain of the plywood. A galvanized steel stair wraps around a monolithic concrete column, giving access to the two sleeping lofts. The repetitive lines of the eastern maple railings are integrated into the two-story bookcase and the kitchen casework. The compact kitchen features an expanse of copper counter flowing smoothly into integrally formed sink bowls; the work counter can be lowered by screw jack to dining height.

This really fun project was done in collaboration with Ray C Freeman III…. It was a blast working with Ray……