One Family’s Cabin Retreat in Washington Takes Inspiration From a Native Bird
Designed for a family of avid birdwatchers, a series of cabins takes notes from the nest of the native killdeer.
Located atop a bluff on the western shore of Washington’s Hood Canal is Hood Cliff Retreat, a cluster of family cabins that include an original, 20' x 20' cabin; an addition connected by a glass link; and a new bunkhouse nestled on the northern end of the site.
The retreat’s owners—Pat Troth, a hydrologist and forester with a deep love for trees, soils, and the beauty of the natural world, and her husband John Troth, a wildlife photographer—live in Indiana, and were looking to create a gathering place in nature where they could visit and spend quality time with their two adult children who live in Toronto and North Carolina.
The repurposed main cabin contains an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area with a Murphy bed to make room for guests. A mudroom and outdoor kitchen help facilitate an indoor/outdoor lifestyle, while a wraparound deck and clerestory windows emphasize the connection.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
Cedar platforms close to the ground extend beneath the cabin’s broad eaves to create spaces that frame outdoor space.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
The main cabin has an outdoor kitchen and a spacious, western-facing cedar deck for views toward Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
"As avid bird watchers and naturalists, the Troths wanted an indoor/outdoor family retreat that would immerse them in the stillness of the forest and capture the delicate Washington sunlight and views toward Hood Canal and the Olympic Mountains to the west," says architect Matt Wittman of Seattle–based practice Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape.
According to Wittman, the architecture of Hood Cliff was inspired by the native killdeer bird. "Unlike most birds, the killdeer doesn’t bring outside vegetation to build its nest—it pulls away the existing brush, burrowing into the existing forest, and nesting on the ground," says Wittman, who designed Hood Cliff Retreat to feel both connected to, and protected from, the natural elements—like the bird’s nest.
A collection of low-slung volumes create a series of platforms near the ground, so family members can be close together while still retaining their privacy.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
Within the addition are a bathroom, utility room, and storage space.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
The Troths owned a dark and opaque cedar cabin on the site, which had been built in 1962, but felt that this old cabin did not do justice to the stunning site. They wanted their new retreat to better connect them with the outdoors, and to include three additional sleeping areas for their extended family.
Cedar platforms near the ground extend beneath broad eaves to create spaces that frame outdoor views.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
Over time, the rough-sawn cedar siding and cement panel finishes develop a natural patina, so the exterior of the cabin harmonizes with the colors of the woodlands.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
The new retreat was designed as three single-story volumes that defer to the landscape with glass sliding doors and continuous decks that connect the three structures to the greenery and trees outside.
Shop the Look
A simple and restrained material palette kept construction costs low.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
Salvaged cedar beams were used for the countertops, casework, and parts of the exterior cladding.
A transparent link connects the main cabin and addition.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
Plywood was used for interior walls and ceilings, and fir wood for the floors.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
In the living area, a built-in Murphy bed can be pulled down to create flexible sleeping area when needed.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
In the kitchen, a pass-through window extends the interior countertop into the concrete counter and built-in wood barbecue outdoors.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
"We sought to dissolve the barriers between the inside and out; between forest, garden, and structure."
—Matt Wittman
The countertops and interior cladding were created from reclaimed beams and siding from the original cabin.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
Within, plywood walls and ceilings combine with warm cedar boards and cast-in-place concrete to elevate the simple cabin concept.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
In the master bathroom is a reclaimed, cast iron tub that creates the feeling of soaking in the outdoors without interrupting moments of repose.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
A separate bunkhouse provides additional guest quarters.
Courtesy of Andrew Pogue
Hood Cliff Retreat floor plan drawing
Courtesy of Wittman Estes Architecture+Landscape
Project Credits:
Architecture: Wittman Estes Architecture+Landscape / @wittman_estes
Builder: Jack Colgrove Construction
Structural engineering: Strongworks Structural
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