Cabin in the Woods

The pastoral location takes advantage of a natural clearing surrounded by pine, oak and hickory trees, with an expansive view of a large pond. Randolph was familiar with the location, having once lived in a fishing trailer on this exact location while attending Mississippi State University’s School of Architecture. Jon, too, had lived on the property with his father as an MSU student. And before that, the land belonged to Jon’s grandparents, who lived in a home on the lot.

The Nash’s tiny house is part of the growing tiny house trend—an architectural and social movement that advocates living simply in small homes. Reportedly inspired by Henry David Thoreau and the publication of his book “Walden,” this lifestyle choice embraces residence downsizing—living a more fulfilling life without a lot of debt or a huge mortgage. A tiny house can be defined as a dwelling unit with a maximum of 400 square feet of floor area, excluding lofts. With the fishing trailer removed and construction completed, the Nashs wound up with a 12-foot by 40-foot rectangular tiny house with an 8-foot by 40-foot front porch (which is reflective of Southern living) that spans the width of the house.

CONTINUOUS ROOF AND WALL PLANE

archimania worked with the Nashs to meet their design goals and delivered a minimal set of construction documents for the tiny house. The house’s interior consists of a kitchen and living room with high ceilings, first-level master bedroom, bathroom and space for a stackable washer and dryer. Outside of typical living spaces, the clients requested a sleeping loft that accommodates a set of twin beds and a prominent porch with views towards the pond. The design situates one continuous roof and wall plane, with a single ridge at the sleeping loft, around the volume of interior spaces. The full-length porch sits in the space created between these two elements.

The tiny house is clad in a two-toned metal skin “Metal panels were selected as exterior materials for their inherent beauty and economy, because they support the design intent, and provide the durability and low maintenance required between sometimes infrequent visits,” Randolph says. “Additionally, local metal installers were readily available and able to successfully install the metal with common details.”

The roof and wall plane is clad in galvanized standing seam metal panels (0.032 Snap-Clad 16-inch, off-center panels in Galvalume from Petersen Aluminum Corp., Elk Grove Village, Ill.) as a regular vertical meter against the sculptural pines. The remaining exterior walls are clad in 7/8-inch corrugated metal PAC-CLAD panels in Charcoal (also from Petersen Aluminum) as a third scale of vertical lines.

“With a long-lasting and affordable material having so many available options in profile, orientation and color, metal was the obvious choice to support the design intent of a vertically oriented cladding complimenting the tall surrounding pines,” Randolph says. “The flexibility of utilizing the same panel for the walls and roof allows the whole exterior to be unified. A reflective Galvalume finish highlights the outer envelope, while a darker Charcoal finish encourages the interior volume to recede in shadow.” Partly because of this finish, sunlight projects through the treetops and reflects off of the metal, creating shadowy images on the canvas-like exterior walls.

Overall, the house’s small size did influence its design. “Because of the small size we wanted to keep the form, material palette and repetitive patterning minimal,” Randolph adds.

INTO THE WOODS

Randolph says the design incorporates an architectural approach to sustain – ability rather than a technological one. “The house has a small footprint and was built entirely by local contractors and the owner. The southwest-facing porch not only provides a generous overhang for all the primary windows but also extends the living space beyond the envelope. With moderate weather the family is able to open the doors facing the porch to allow cross ventilation through the clerestory window at the loft.”