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An architects’ approach to designing a remote cabin in Hocking Hills allows guests to be “alone in the woods.”
The Hocking Hills region offers a picturesque landscape of lush forests, stunning waterfalls, and dramatic rock formations. The region’s deep ravines and scenic gorges create a serene and enchanting environment perfect for hiking and nature exploration. It’s no surprise architects and designers are completing more remote retreats in this scenic area, and The Acres cabin is an incredible example of the design opportunities available.
Architect of The Acres Cabin, Bart Overly with Blostein/Overly Architects, talks about their conceptual approach to designing this secluded retreat.
What were the big design drivers for The Acres?
“One of the big goals starting out with The Acres was site planning. We are interested in how we could create, over time, a series of modern retreats that could be strategically sited with the site's terrain in a way that allowed all guests to be "alone in the woods." On a semi-off-the-grid site, the notion of privacy had to be more than simply providing distance between retreats; efficient development of the site would have to keep utility runs and roadways short, and sharing of resources. We established a 'zoning code' for maintaining private view corridors, tree buffers, terrain elevation separation, and sharing of wells to minimize disruption of the site.”
Did the site selection play a role in the design?
“It's a beautiful site. 80 acres, heavily wooded, with nearly 200 feet of elevation change. It has an existing logging road that was a natural to think about getting visitors through the site and between clusters of retreat locations. We wanted to keep the feel of the site intact as much as possible.”
What influenced the material pallet?
“Darker colors recede and can help give a feeling of disappearing in the forest, and bright white is like a gallery wall. When black skin of the building is carved to make the entry and porch, its material switches to clear coat pine. In this case, like Phillip Johnson's Glass House and its as Johnson liked to call it, "very expensive wallpaper," the art is the landscape framed by the glazing. And then there was the woods as sculpture. BL/OV and the client worked with Alex Berggren and Trees Are My Business to thread walnut accents throughout: custom hearth, dining table, shelving.”
Were you presented with any challenges during the project?
“Moving a project off-paper and onto the site always presents new opportunities, and it really energized the client as she was imagining in new ways how the project could multiply the special experiences for visitors. As a result some elements were envisioned in the field (like the cor-ten spiral shower, which we love) and had to be coordinated quickly with the incredibly skilled contractor, Tom Bell. Tom's biggest challenge would be those XXL tempered picture windows, which he tells us were quite heavy (and he's installing them with a crane on Retreat No. 2!).”
Are there any particular details or design features you’re proud of?
“We love the amount of spatial variety we could get from a seemingly simple volume. We love the resulting collection of unique experiences, moods, and environments that, like future retreats, live well together. We love the quirky features: the wrap-around deck that is a shadowline of the roof form, the outdoor shower, the hidden 4X4 Gator Garage, the fire lounge hearth, the carved porch and entry. Orlie [the client] did a fantastic job selecting fixtures and furniture that would complement the architectural vision.”
The Acres Cabin is featured in the DSGN Map collection and is available to book as a nightly rental for your next adventure. Click below to tour the property, learn more, and book your stay.
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