Alpine Cabin, in Vancouver

“The project is special to us as it is our own and was built by ourselves with volunteering friends that share our equal love of making things and powder boarding. The project is our foundation project and it was formative in our desire to start a practice where we can challenge ourselves with designing and crafting work in challenging sites where adventure is the reward.”

The cabin was constructed out of a desire to directly design and build as a singular act, to work with the freedom one experiences when snowboarding, and in a manner which is centred in the adventure and not bound heavily in pre-determination.

The structure consists of locally sourced douglas fir columns, rough sawn fir lumber, and planed fir interior finish.ÊÊThe construction approach was determined to avoid machine excavation, to withstand the annual snowfall, to resist the dominant winds and to build in a manner which elevates the building above the height of the accumulated snow on the ground.ÊÊThe materials are left in their raw form and finish. The exterior is clad in cedar which has weathered to the tone of the surrounding forest.

The 100 sqm cabin is without electricity and is heated by a wood stove. Water is collected from a local source and carried in.ÊÊMt. Cain is a community operated alpine recreation area which has 1500cm of annual snow accumulation and legendary powder, The mountain is a special gem which anyone would fall in love with at first site due to its incredible terrain and snow and the committed friendly locals that run it.

The cabin is located at 1300m above sea level and is directly accessible by gravel road five months of the year, during the other months equipment and materials are carried by toboggan to the site.