Enhancing The Cabin Experience Through Design (Repost)

An unprecedented number of architects are providing designs for new and remodeled cabins on behalf of cabin owners. Whether rustic, cottage style or modern designs, cabins of distinctive character are now gracing lakeshores, riverbanks and mountainsides. What are architects offering these retreat owners that has brought their services into favor?

Cabin owners have great freedom as to with whom and how their cabin design is realized. Laws in most states do not mandate designs by an architect, engineer or draftsman. Your lumberyard and contractor will prefer a detailed drawing and your building permit process may mandate the same, but you are free to draw this yourself or to buy detailed drawings from a magazine.

What architects have to offer is added value and an enhancement of the cabin experience through design. By way of their unique training they synthesize the many forces, factors, and functions common to cabin projects in the creation of a tailored solution to each situation. Such as:

– Architects have knowledge of new, innovative and conventional building materials and technologies. They seek a blend of the tried and true with some experimentation.
SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger
 
– Each site is unique with particular topography, views, vegetation, and access. Client budgets vary significantly and a design solution merges these two notable variables.
SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

 

– Efficient and effective space planning can lead to a design that is smaller than what a client expected. This means that more of the budget is available for character inside and out.
SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

 

– Spatial variety is the result of an architect studying the relationship between the plan and cross sections of the structure. Roofs need to shed the rain and provide interesting forms. Ceilings shape interior space and don’t always need to follow roof shapes.
SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

 

– Aesthetic appeal is always the goal of an architect for which they are inclined to use their “pretty pencil”. They study each face of the cabin for this purpose.
SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

 

Attributes of cabins designed by architects should:
– Highlight the views in all directions. Whether at the water, in the mountains or in the forest, views to nature give reason for the study of window patterns.
SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger
– Bring the cabin user into nature. Window walls can extend interior living space into nature with its daily and seasonal variety.
SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

 

– Create memorable places. An outcome of the design process can be the creation of unique spaces that go beyond the clients pragmatic goals.
SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

 

– Enhance social bonding. Cabins first and foremost are about human experience. Thoughtful design will promote social interaction.
SALA Architect Dale Mulfinger

Working with an architect can make any trip to the cabin be a restorative experience. Meet the SALA Architects team and discover a wide array of cabin possibilities. We will be sharing some of our favorite designs of years past and available to answer questions about possible cabin futures at the 2023 Lake Home and Cabin Show in Minneapolis.

Drop by the SALA booth #707 at the Minneapolis Convention Center to explore our project boards, models and to ask all things cabin with our professional architects. Tell us about your site, dreams and, who knows, we just might get out our sketchbook!

SALA Architect Dale MulfingerSALA Architect Dale Mulfinger