Featured Cabin: Dreamcatcher

The Dreamcatcher cabin began with my friend Mark Ludlow suggesting that he sought a vertical cabin design for an interior site location at his island resort on Lake Vermillion. He didn’t want to crowd the cabins that had evolved on the perimeter of the island, but perceived there to be a good site for a tall cabin overlooking those at the perimeter with a view up the lake. He contemplated that with a thirty-five foot height limit, ground to peak, there was a possibility of fitting in three levels. I said, “If vertical is what you want, I believe we can squeeze four levels into the thirty-five feet!”

SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

When he saw my excitement he added that whatever construction method I contemplated, his window for construction was October to May, so as to not interfere with his paying clientele. Moreover, that all materials had to make their way over to the island, come open water, slush or thin ice. No cranes were likely for this project. Below you’ll see the model of the four mini trusses for the roof designed to link together without the need for such a crane.

SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

I was teaching design studio at the Department of Architecture at the University of Minnesota at the time and thought this to be a perfect inspirational project for my students. So along with my academic colleague, Marcelo Valdez, we rented a few vans and headed to the north country with students. We arrived in the early spring just as the ice was breaking up on Lake Vermillion. We piled into some scrappy aluminum fishing boats and headed out from shore. Occasionally we’d have to all sit in back while I rammed the boat up on ice and then all move forward to break it up. But we made it, all students accounted for.

Upon reaching the site Mark had picked, I informed the students that we’d need to find a tall ladder and park it against a sturdy pine tree to inspect the view at thirty feet in the air. All but one student made the climb in spite of a cold northwest wind rocking the ladder.

Twenty-four eager students jumped headlong into the design and most produced some fascinating results. This was a sophomore level studio, so imagination definitely trumped buildable logic. Yet we thought we had the kernel of a few interesting ideas worthy of further pursuit. So following our spring semester course, Marcelo and I drew upon their ideas for a final design which Mark’s crew could implement in the approaching fall.

Here’s a segment from a recent episode of Minnesota Bound featuring Mark and I on the history of this unique project. Interested in a getaway to Dreamcatcher? Contact Ludlow’s Island Resort and reserve your stay high in the sky!

For more on Lake Vermilion, here’s a prior post I wrote on this wonderful lake and the cabins (and clients) on it!