An exercise in simplicity, the Sonoma weeHouse consists of two steel-framed volumes with ipe interiors, oiled oak cabinetry, and massive sliding glass walls that overlook valley views.
Missouri-based architect Rocio Romero designs ADUs that serve as studios, backyard offices, guest cottages, and short-term getaways. She’s sold over 50 prefab units in 17 different states, and she recently launched a line of more modestly sized, construct-it-yourself structures dubbed the Camp series. Here, Romero and product manager Julie Schaefer review plans together at a Base Camp prototype in Missouri.
“The new addition encloses a series of crafted interiors, each deceptively spacious despite the modest footprint, and designed to offer a heightened experience of landscape from within an intimate setting,” explain the architects. “Large sections of the facade slide fully away, allowing living areas to merge into the surrounding garden, and for the edge of the bathroom and bedrooms to vanish into the forest context.”
An exterior elevation shows the Whipplewood house’s slope.
A southern view shows the exposed concrete foundation and entrance bridge. “As you approach and enter, the front door is at the top,” explains Sokol. “It’s a three-story house with the entrance on the third story, and the master bedroom in the basement—it’s sort of upside down.”
Lower ground floor plan of Triangle House by Edgar Papazian Architect.
Section of Triangle House by Edgar Papazian Architect.
To make the home more thermally comfortable and energy efficient, eight inches of insulation was added to the roof, which is finished in yellow cedar shakes—a thicker alternative to shingles. The eaves of the house are painted in Outrageous Orange by Benjamin Moore, referencing the orange elements in the main living space.
A spiral stair at the center of the living space leads downstairs to the lower "basement" level. The small spiral stair was the only solution for code-compliant vertical circulation in a house with such a small footprint. The alternative would have involved building a "saddlebag" onto the side of the house to create a traditional stair run, which would have exceeded the budget.
The new entry footbridge that leads from the road doubles as a deck that sits in the canopy of small oak trees, creating a feeling akin to being in a tree house.
A photograph of the kit home when it was first built in 1965. "We built upon the language and the history of the home, which we learned about from neighbors and the local village as we lived in it," says Edgar. "I love that the son of the original owner has taken a real liking to what we have done—he has even provided us with all the original documentation, bills, notes, surveys, drawings and the catalogue they chose the house out of. To me they are part of the house."
The existing porch at the front of the home, which functioned as a main entrance, was removed. Now, a newly built timber footbridge leads to a new entry vestibule at the side of the home. This footbridge wraps around the house to form an additional deck at the rear which can be accessed from the main living area.
The lower "basement" level sits beneath the main level of the home and is accessible from doors at the rear, and from an internal stair. The original deck was replaced by one that visually extends the new entry footbridge around the home.
Before the renovation, the non-winterized cabin—which was fancifully described by the real estate listing as a "chalet"—had been used as a summer vacation home. The renovation needed to make it suitable for a full-time residence to house architect Edgar Papazian, his wife Michelle, and their two young daughters.
The all-wood Opperland is the newest all-season structure on offer from Dutch company Haaks. The company started by challenging what the outdoor experience can be—and it later transitioned to tiny homes. In less than 100 square feet, their smallest design embodies both the spirit of the outdoors and the functionality of a compact home.
Leather sling chairs from CB2 surround a dining table by Joel Duprass.
The Pretty Good House movement is growing. New meetups are cropping up around the country—including in Tennessee and California’s Sierra Nevadas. Pictured here, the Meadow View House by Atmosphere Design Build is highly efficient. It features mini splits for heating and cooling, exceeds the insulation requirements for its climate, implements photovoltaics, and filters fresh air without heat loss.
A small, affordable home in Parsonsfield, Maine, by local architecture firm Briburn incorporates passive solar design principles and is superinsulated thanks to features like triple-glazed windows. By all standards, it’s a Pretty Good House, as its carbon footprint is greatly reduced.
Approach to house — the front porch wraps to the west to link together the main entry door and the mud room entrance.
The Fish Camp acts as the couple’s forest getaway, just a quarter mile from their main house.
