Everyone needs decompression time. Ditching the office for a stroll through the park or a quick spin on a bike can work, but if we had our choice, we'd opt for a hang inside a contemporary mini-cabin (surprise). So it is, too, for a family of four residing in the English countryside, who contracted Winchester-based AR Design Studio to create the angular retreat that is the Climber's Cabin.
Built as an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for hosting guests but also as an independent space for kids and a backyard escape, the cabin was constructed around four A-frame trusses, which were lifted in place on framing day like a barn raising. A pitched roof extends around one side of a spacious front porch to create the building's signature and slightly trippy appearance. Sitting between woodland and a meandering stream, the cabin cuts a charming, albeit modern, picture within its enchanting English countryside setting.
The cabin's design called for straightforward construction and local materials so the client, who had some construction experience of their own, could do most of the work independently. At 270-square-feet, its modest size made the semi-DIY project manageable, but what space there is had to be considered carefully to fit the required four-person capacity.
That's where the roof's irregular pitch comes in. The shape allows for a lofted bedroom mezzanine with one side of the A bumping out to create more space.
The central living room contains a skylight, floor-to-ceiling picture window, and glass door. In the rear, a paneled wall hides access to the kid's bunk beds and a small bathroom. And on top of the unit, the sleeping loft hosts a double bed.
The Climber's Cabin's interior is lined with upcycled scaffold boards while cedar shingles clad the exterior. Natural building materials were used whenever possible during construction, which happened in phases both on and off the property. The structure is also off-grid, making it cost-effective and easy to maintain.
Outside, the mini cabin rests upon a simple concrete pad foundation supported by brick piers, but you wouldn't know that given how well it's integrated into the property along with a spacious deck that has a tree running through its boards for shade, creating what might be the best place to kick back in all the English countryside.
Published 07-19-2022
