The Oak Refuge

(EN) Set in the Catskills in upstate New York, The Oak Refuge is a unique reinterpretation of the cabin typology that questions the character of contemporary rusticity. Through the lens of genius loci, a study of vernacular architecture, tectonics, materials, local history, and botanic species influenced our process and stimulated our design vocabulary. 

Five tiny cabins, interconnected to constitute a larger cabin, evoke the client’s affinity with the traditional cabin typology and also cater to specific spatial and architectural requirements. 

Modular construction was chosen for its various advantageous attributes, especially when building in remote locations. The intrinsic characteristics of this construction type also lent to a design, modular in itself, that inspired a poetic playfulness to the building envelope. The tension created by repeated geometry and the strong oblique lines of the roof silhouette expresses a form of architectural assonance that conjures powerful, emotional imagery. 

Prominent glazing flanks diametrically opposite corners of the house to capture views and skylights feature at the peak of each roof to draw in light and cast shadows on the sculptural roof form. The large, glazed openings, which break the monolithic, wooden shingle building envelope, dramatise the sentiment of being protected within a refuge and exposed to a wild landscape at the same time.

Inside, each of the five modules is dedicated to a single function. The clarity of the program is emphasised by a change in floor height between each module, marking the threshold between each function. The central living, cooking and dining spaces’ contemporary, open plan layout can be divided by two wall-sized sliding doors that give the possibility to isolate each module and come back to a traditional cabin’s idyllic scale and spirit. 

The rhythm of the interior spaces is punctuated by skylights that throw light and shadow over the rough sawn oak clad walls and ceilings, following the movement of the sun and poetically reinforcing the contemplative spatial experience. 

The meticulously chosen palette of materials is completed by an original composition of furnishings that contribute to the dynamic juxtapositions present throughout the project; the old against the new, the rough against the smooth, the comfortable against the austere.