CONTEMPORIST

False Bay Writer’s Cabin by Olson Kundig Architects

Posted: 05 Nov 2011 03:13 AM PDT

Olson Kundig Architects designed a cabin on San Juan Island in Washington State.

Description from the architects:

The cabin is five hundred square feet and is a private writers retreat and guest cottage. Located on San Juan Island, Washington, the owners wanted the cabin to feel contacted to its setting, the climate, the wildlife and views. They also needed a structure that could be easily secured when not in use.

The cabin was designed as a glass house surrounded by three wooden slat decks that can be raised by a hydraulic system of wires, rope, pivoting sheaves and lead blocks, that serves as shutters. When open, the shutter decks are outdoor living spaces; when closed they secure the cabin. The fireplace rotates 180 degrees to be enjoyed indoors or out. An inverted roof with deep overhangs forces water to drain to the rear of the cabin.

The cabin is a single room with a small kitchenette and a bathroom. Finishes are restrained, punctuated only by a blackened steel inlay that bisects the floor from the fireplace to the slot window at the rear of the cabin.

Visit the Olson Kundig Architects website – here.

Photography by Tim Bies/Olson Kundig Architects