Designed by Minneapolis firm Sala Architects, the 820-square-foot Metal Lark Tower marked the first rental cabin to open at Nordlys Lodging, a 140-acre property in Frederic, Wisconsin. Small windows on the northwest side of the two-story structure provide privacy and protection from winter winds. Solar panels and natural heat insulated by the triple-paned windows add to the structure’s efficiency.
A cantilevered cabin designed by R D Gentzler blends into the forest, even as it hovers above a 20-foot drop-off. Its south face is almost entirely glass, but a roof canopy limits solar gain.
This cabin has a commodious kitchen and living area that encourages family and friends to come together for meals and conversation.
The wood exterior blends in quietly with the surrounding timber.
Cabin at Longbranch | Olson Kundig
Sleeping Cabin at sunset.
“Metaphorically, the cabin’s exterior is like a cut log,” Lane says. “The black-stained Western red cedar is the bark, and the Douglas fir siding under cover is the exposed wood once the log has been cut.” Beyond the house and native sod gardens, a meadowscape blends into the mature pine forest at the lakefront. “We wanted a woodland garden quality,” landscape architect Soren deNiord says.
The home features triple pane aluminum clad wood windows and doors from Ikon, which were about 20% more compared to a traditional double pane quote from Pella. But Douglas notes that the Ikon doors and windows "provide larger free glass areas with fewer mullions paired with multipoint locking,
Seattle architecture firm Wittman Estes used its new modular prefab system to built a prototype on Whidbey Island in Washington for a family that loves the outdoors.
The heating-and-cooling system uses a heat pump to flow hot and cold water through pipes embedded in the polished concrete radiant floors.
