new modern rustic: et al.'s catskill cabin is a prefabricated outdoor living room

american research and architecture studio et al. collaborative converts the rustic into minimalistic country style ‘new modern rustic’ with its proposal for ‘catskill cabin‘. situated in a wooded area on a 10-acre lot in ulster county, NY, the prefabricated house is the ideal getaway vacation dwelling nestled within nature.

the corner window to observe nature

‘we wrestled with how much of footprint to physically occupy,’ says manu garza,  the principal of et al.. the final cabin size was informed by questions of just how much space is adequate to live simply or simply live.

the cabin set within nature is an outdoor living room

prefabricated off-site, the cabin is assembled leveraging prefab panels for the floor, walls and standard framing for the roof system which supports a standing seam metal roof. a paneled exterior enclosure, composed of cedarwood treated with tar oil to give it the black finish.

a sliding dining/bar docks into place to create an outdoor patio for entertaining

double insulated glass window panes and large sliding glass doors on both sides of the house open the entire cabin to the outdoors. a sliding dining/bar docks into place to create an outdoor patio for entertaining. interior finishes include volcanic stone floor tiles and a mix of dark and white oak wood.

open living space showing fenestration to maximize day-lighting and an operable clerestory system for temperature control

minimal kitchen concept, operable window wall system to bring the outside in

cross section 

the cabin is situated on a 10-acre lot only 2 hours from new york city

open living plan, with 1/3 private and 2/3 public spaces

hybrid prefab system: prefab panels for the floor, walls and standard framing for the roof system which supports a standing seam metal roof

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: maria erman | designboom