In the heart of the Methow Valley, in north central Washington State (USA), one of the smallest and most extraordinary projects of GO’Can award-winning American architecture and design studio, whose work is characterized by the synthesis between functional design and artistic appearance. On this occasion, the house was commissioned by a client who loved sports and outdoor activities, such as mountain biking and cross-country skiing, and who dreamed of a small shelter that could be a point of reference for his life in the countryside.
The structure is built into an embankment or hill, giving it the feel of a real one refuge. It is therefore an architecture that adheres to the irregularities of the terrain and with a squared and minimal appearance that fits into the surrounding environment as if it were a large block of stone. Its concrete and iron walls seem to blend perfectly with the colors of the valleensuring that the house integrates with nature, and despite having been renovated from top to bottom, the project maintains and displays some of its most characteristic and wonderful signs of identity.
Roof drain.
The proposal for a flat roof included an additional space as a roof terrace, where the snow is retained even in winter, increasing thermal insulation and then, once melted, it is diverted in the form of water into a large side channel. But the most surprising feature of the refuge is undoubtedly its size. It’s only long 6 meters and 4.5 deep: “With such a small space, it was important to maximize the connection with the outside to expand the living area in the warmer months”, explain the authors of the project, who designed a south facade with glass doors to visually connect the interior with the area of porticobut also to capture natural light and enjoy the landscape from the bed or mini-lounge. The interior shows a fabulous work of expert carpentry in which everything has been fitted together like a puzzle to make the most of every space.
Thus, the sleeping area or kitchen is made to measure with natural wood and includes wardrobes – the bed is raised to take advantage of all the space underneath as a wardrobe -.The success of this work lies in the fact that it is an avant-garde and revolutionary design that breaks withclassic architecture of a log cabin but, at the same time, it responds to the philosophy of a fascinating mountain refuge.
www.gocstudio.com
Gema Marcos is a journalist and specializes in decoration, design, architecture and hotels. Graduated in Information Science from the Complutense University of Madrid, she has worked for many years writing interior design and lifestyle magazines.
At the Nuevo Estilo header is where he trained and acquired his knowledge about the world of interiors. Interviewing decorators and architects from the national scene, traveling to European design fairs and attending press conferences for furniture brands every week helped him learn more about the world of interior design. He was also lucky enough to coordinate the hotels section of that magazine, which allowed him to better understand the operation and staging of some of the best hotels in Spain and Europe.
He is currently a freelancer and collaborates for our magazines Elle Decor and Nuevo Estilo, in addition to carrying out communication and media dissemination for some national interior design studios. He likes his work and enjoys writing about housing projects, contracts, crafts and travel. In fact, the world of decoration has attracted her since she was little… She knows that surrounding herself with beautiful things is essential to being happy every day.
Gema has fun discovering new accommodations and finding curious objects in shops and auctions that also inspire her when it comes to writing. He loves to change and move the furniture at home every now and then, light the fireplace, spend hours in the kitchen and open a wine with company. He prefers winter to summer and likes stews more than gazpacho. His favorite place is Villarrube, his hometown.
