Cabin Life is in full swing as we Midwesterners make our weekend pilgrimage to the waters edge each weekend. As the balmy days of July are soon upon us I’m reminded of a common question I ask my cabin clients. “Do you air condition or listen to the loons?”
The answer often is informed by geography, or specifically is the cabin site above or below the 46th Parallel. That’s a line roughly running across Minnesota from Moose Lake through Brainerd to Fergus Falls. You see, that’s where the temperature changes and the prairie gives way to the forest. When I travel north on I-35 to my cabin on Lake Vermilion I can see the temperature drop 10 degrees in 20 miles just before the Moose Lake exit. It’s also where state codes mandate five foot deep foundation walls instead of the three and a half feet we are used to in the Twin Cities. South of that line we usually are asked to include air conditioning in project design whereas north of that line it’s optional. And the answer lies in whether our clients prefer the sound of the loon over a sealed up cool summer house. Usually a ceiling fan will provide enough comfort for the few steamy days we experience in northern Minnesota.
The upper line in this map is where the temperature change lands with the 46th parallel. The lower line is roughly where the building codes change in regards to foundations:
You might wonder why this technology question is so important to an architect and it lies in the character of the cabin. If A/C isn’t necessary, we can expose the structure and create a more interesting ceiling. We also are more likely to consider hydronic heat in the floor along with a slate floor as apposed to wood. Walking barefoot on the slate floor also adds to the cool of summer.
So for those of you headed up north this holiday weekend, see what you observe around the 46th parallel. It might influence how you design your next project. Have a wonderful and safe 4th!