Located on a century-old farm in northeastern Iowa, the design and construction of this off-grid cottage originated from the owner's reclamation of the prairie and the recycled glass and natural materials on the land. The project was designed as a family retreat and was occasionally used when returning to the family farm. In a clearing in the forest, next to the Wapsipinicon River, the building was designed to create an artificial edge using an extended front façade, opening the "barn" door by sliding so that the glass façade to the north could be seen, closed on departure to provide security.
Reclamation of grasslands
Located on a reclaimed prairie, the timber houses are built in an environmentally friendly and sustainable design with north-south orientations and raised structures to minimize disturbance to grasslands and floodplains. The cabin is off-grid net energy, has solar and battery power, and has a composting toilet. This large 14' x 32' (4.27*9.75m) large room is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides, creating an outdoor experience with daylight and prairie views to the north. An enclosed porch, east-west terrace and a lower terrace form an outdoor interaction.
▼Climate analysis
Recycled glass
Large chunks of recycled transparent frosted insulating glass removed from the commercial office building expansion were used to build the north façade window walls, stacked on a standard 8' grid (to minimize construction waste generated by uniform timber lengths). Operable windows and side courtyard doors provide extra daylight and natural ventilation. Recycled frosted glass is used in the rear bedrooms and bathrooms to disperse the southern sun and provide privacy.
Natural materials
Natural materials are widely used. Exposed rough saw wood structure, barn doors, interior and exterior siding and external terrace decks are mainly western red cedar, selected for its natural moisture-proof, insect-proof, acoustic properties, western red cedar is a renewable resource, while its smell is also very good! Red cedar is naturally retained in bronze until weathered to a warm grey, which complements the old barns of the area. All floors are natural cork. The countertops of the kitchenette are copper and the closets are custom-made cedar wood with frosted glass doors. While the project is primarily a three-season retreat, there is also a Norwegian-designed timber stove to provide warmth for the winter holidays.
Design and build
Off-net huts were designed and built by architects with the occasional help from family and friends. The raised structure is essentially an agriculturally modified rod barn/wood frame structure. The 2x8 (inch) columns in the middle extend from the precast concrete foundation (originally designed for the cowshed) to the roof, and the side 2x6 (inch) columns are integrated with the window frame and support the floor beams and roof rafters. The roof structure is transformed from a 16-inch center rafter at the back to a 32-inch central rafter with a 2x6 roof lookout that is exposed above the large room.
Night View of Hut
▼ Construction process
▼ Building plan / elevation plan
Project information
Architectural design: atelierRISTING
Area: 1120 feet²
Year: 2018
Photo by Steven & Carol Risting
制造商：Cali Bamboo, Herman Miller, JØTUL, Pella EFCO, western red cedar, ColorCopper, PermaColumn
Architect in Charge: Steven Risting
Contractor: Steven Risting
City: Fairbank, USA
Text: Architect | Translation: Wooden House World
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