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Floor Plan of La Colorada by PPAA

Michael Cooper and Ailsa Wong spent weekends camping out on their Catskills property before calling on longtime friend Tom Gluck to design a low-impact home that floats above the forest floor.

Floor plan of the Understory House by GLUCK+

Fields of native grasses connect the main residence, situated at the top of the slope, to the new structures scattered below. A pergola extends from the post-and-beam structure that was maintained during the remodel of the midcentury home.

The prefab design utilizes a pin foundation system that reduces the project’s carbon footprint by 77 percent, says Wittman.

“We pulled apart one volume and staggered it along the buildable area of the property,” says architect Matthew Ahlberg of Portland firm Barrett Made. The home is clad in unfinished cedar, meant to weather over time.

This Swedish prefab cabin by