Hoopers Creek Cabin

The owners of the Hoopers Creek Cabin came to us with specific goals for their new cabin – a small retreat that connects them to the land and is net-zero energy use. The cabin will serve as a getaway for the couple, as well as a source of vacation rental income. Mountain tourism is filled with promises of “eco cabin” rentals that rarely live up to the name, so this cabin needed to walk the talk.

The narrow, steep, and rocky sliver of land presented immediate design limitations. The overall form and scale of the cabin needed to feel like it fit on the small mountain ridge so we developed a compact design solution that minimizes foundation costs as well as the visual and physical impact on the land.

The distant mountain views from the cabin look south down the mountain slope. To maximize solar energy production the roof also needed to face south. This gives the cabin a slender alpine feel, rather than a narrow footprint spread out along the slope. The resulting design helps the cabin feel proportional to the land while responding to the views and sun.

To further reduce construction costs and impact on the land, the parking for the property is down a winding path. This also gives the visitors a true feeling of escape and retreat as they wind their way up to the cabin.

The functional needs of a cabin call for thoughtful space planning. We needed to consider where coolers, luggage or muddy hiking boots would live, or where kids could sleep while parents stayed up enjoying the screened porch.

The interior of the space is a bright and modern interpretation of the traditional mountain cabin. Exposed framing and open, multi-use spaces are a call back to the one-room cabins that have come before. A clean aesthetic of light neutrals and crisp lines brings this retreat into the current age. Large windows on all sides of the house maintain a peaceful connection to the land no matter where you are in the cabin.