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He also built the record player stand using a console he salvaged from a set.

Double fir rafters align with white oak cabinetry below, creating a sense of rhythm and calm.

Floor-to-ceiling glazing and a linear skylight help welcome the landscape within the cabin’s small footprint.

Liz and Matt had to drill a well to provide water to the property. Wastewater is captured and treated with a gravity-fed septic system—this will serve the main dwelling when it’s completed, too.

Liz and Matt had to drill a well to provide water for the property. Wastewater is captured and treated with a gravity-fed septic system that will also serve the main dwelling, when it’s completed.

“It’s a good demonstration of the fundamental sustainability of architecture to build something very dense, compact, and for the long term. Nothing here is going to wear out for a hundred years.”—Chris Bardt, architect

Reclaimed wood covers the ceiling in the main room and bedroom. The large white light fixture was reused from the barn’s previous incarnation, and the sectional is from Interior Define.

A dry-stacked rock hearth supports a Charnwood freestanding woodstove, which was carefully chosen to fit the scale of the surroundings.

A view looking from the kitchen to the open family room, which is outfitted with sofas by Perez Furniture. Above, interior windows in the upstairs bedrooms look out onto the double-height dining area and a view out of the giant window wall.

Stand in the right spot between the office and the kitchen, and you can see through all the different layers of the house.

While right now it’s all a happy blend, Vanbesien has made considerations for a future where he might not necessarily need or want to work a staircase away from his bedroom. “If I stopped working in that office, or we outgrow that office, it wouldn’t necessarily be easy to rent this space to someone else, so we have thought about how we can close it in a bit if we ever need to.”

The bath in the ensuite is made of terrazzo.

One of the concrete supports rises from a steep hillside and stands among surrounding trees.

Upstairs, the space is made cozy and comfortable using dark tones and cedar panels on the wall and ceiling. “Initially, we looked at adding a floor to our house. We didn’t start out by saying, ‘Let’s build a tower in our yard.’ But it’s perfect,” says Jess.