Perched on a rocky cliff at 10,000 feet, this pair of solar-powered cabins offer unique views of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo mountains, the Collegiate Peaks and the South Platte River. Renée del Gaudio Architecture designed Big Cabin | Little Cabin to capture the essence of traditional cabin vernacular with a modern twist.
The site is bordered to the north by a thick forest that provides the cabins with an intimate feel. Classic gabled roofs and rustic materials echo the area’s functional architecture, while the exterior cedar siding helps the cabins hide within their wooded surroundings. A similar material palette dominates the open-plan interior of the project, with plywood interior walls and ceilings lending a rustic quality.
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The cabins consume little energy, thanks to high-efficiency electric appliances and LED lighting. The temperature is well-controlled year-round with closed and open cell foam insulation, double and triple low-e glass windows and rolling barn door shutters.
The project also features a 96 percent efficient boiler, radiant floor tubing set in concrete and a high efficiency wood-burning stove. The project is wired for a 3kw photovoltaic array, which is expected to fully meet the cabins’ energy needs.
+ Renée del Gaudio Architecture
Via Dwell
Photos by David Lauer
