VISIONS OF STYLISH PLACE

The Climber’s Cabin by AR Design Studio is presented in: https://www.archdaily.com/982782/the-climbers-cabin-ar-design-studio. One assumes that this publication is for general information about the project, to share its qualities with others. The photographs are by Martin Gardner; the ‘text description’ was provided by the architects. Given that the project has been published in this way, it is reasonable that it might be reviewed in order to assess its attributes. The issue of the presentation of projects has been explored in other texts – see: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2022/06/dreams-of-mountain-cottage.html; https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2022/05/photography-expression-experience.html; and https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2022/05/four-new-projects.html. This article offers another opportunity to consider these matters that centre around the precisely framed photographic image that manipulates perceptions by carefully selecting the context of the content; but this particular project has other issues that also need to be explored.

From the text itself, one gleans that the cabin sits between the edge of deciduous woodland and a stream, and has been designed to serve as guest accommodation and as an independent space for the children as they grow older. Just why it has been called a ‘climber’s’ cabin is not made clear. The cabin is described as a compact, off-the-grid, self-build ancillary space for their house. One never sees the ‘house,’ finds out where it is, or discovers who ‘their’ might be, but the words suggest an isolated, woodland retreat located by a stream, a site perhaps reminiscent of that of Wright’s Fallingwater. Indeed, the photographs suggest a similar, although somewhat more modest, relationship between the deck and water to that seen in Wright’s project.

Might the inspiration be Taliesin West?

Desert shelters, Taliesin West.

In order to explain the quirky shaping of this cabin for four, the architects tell us that it all started as a 6x4m box which was then manipulated in a pragmatic manner to maximize the available floor area. The roof was chosen to be pitched in order to make space for a mezzanine; and one wall was skewed out to provide space for storage without compromising floor space; finally, the front truss was rotated towards the northwest in order to create a trap for the late evening sun and allow for a small sheltered terrace. The whole unusual concept is presented as a pure rational outcome of logical, pragmatic thought: but might the inspiration have been Taliesin West? Is the architect a Wright enthusiast?

Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio, Oak Park, Illinois.

We are told that a large terrace wraps around the side of the cabin for use during the warmer months, and that the adaptable living space to the front takes advantage of the large picture window. The text continues, telling us that, at the rear there are two children’s bunks with a double bed over at the mezzanine level with framed views of the woodland from the sleeping spaces: also, it is noted that the children’s bunks have direct access to the terrace connecting their own personal space with the garden.

It all sounds very idyllic; very homely and cosy: a thick layer of insulation, ensuring that the Cabin remains warm all year round and minimizing its heating requirements. The text concludes with a romantic vision that seeks to sum up the design intention: This sustainable approach to construction gives a very natural texture to the building and emphasizes the relationship with the surrounding woodlands. The result is a tranquil space that makes use of natural materials, glass, and its context to create a real sense of connection to the surrounding woodlands and provide a small escape from the everyday.

The photographs reinforce this off-the-grid concept with rustic images of the cabin in remote woodland by the stream, suggesting isolation - peace, quiet, and solitude. All of the images reveal the cabin in this described, lonely context, with cosy interiors and people enjoying the quiet contemplative life while sitting inside, on the deck, or bathing in the stream. It seems to present the ‘Thoreau’ man enjoying nature. The aerial photograph clearly shows this woodland/stream relationship in plan view; but there is concern when one photograph captures a different, perhaps unintended detail of the actual context, revealing more than might have ever been intended.

Taliesin West

Just one glimpse of the cabin with the hedge and lawn, dominated by its 'woodland' context.

The view out of the large picture window of the living space shows the other side of the stream which is not woodland, as one is led to believe, but a carefully-mown lawn area framed by a trimmed hedge, with what looks like row housing along a street on the other side of this clipped boundary enclosure. This does not look like a romantic, remote woodland setting. One wonders why the main large picture window might be skewed to address the street instead of the trees. The text did note that the cabin was between the edge of a deciduous woodland and a stream, but it said nothing of being on the edge of an urban residential development, on a street, or adjacent to manicured lawns and hedges. One is left wondering what the house that this cabin is associated with might be. Is it a terrace house, a detached, suburban home, or some exotic, maybe minor manor house model in a mini-‘Versailles’ garden? Is this location simply someone’s backyard; or maybe a front yard? Doubt about the whole description and intent of the project makes one consider matters in more detail.

The architectural rendering also looks to the woodland, but does not reveal the stream.

It is now noted that all of the external images of the cabin have been taken from the one side, looking towards the woodland, while carefully excluding views of the adjacent street, its housing clusters, and the neat, hedged lawn. It is only in the interior photograph looking out of the picture window that one can see the ‘other’ context. It is interesting to observe that the real contexts of Venturi’s mother’s house, and Reitveld’s iconic Schrőder house have been revealed in the same way - as unexpected glimpses through windows seen as an unintended part of the interior view that is left, maybe deliberately, slightly out of focus; likewise, one can note that Philip Johnson’s Glass house is always photographed looking away from the street too; see – https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-vanna-venturi-house-postmodern.html; https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2021/02/rietvelds-schroder-house-utrecht-seeing.html; and https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-need-for-street-view-in-architecture.html.

Venturi's mother's house interior showing the neighbour.

Schrőder house interior showing the motorway.

Johnson's Glass House is always photographed showing its idyllic setting, looking away from the street above it.

The climber's cabin - the 'maison de jardin' - looks onto the neighbouring housing.

The cabin is always photographed in its 'woodland' setting.

It's a little like Where's Wally? - find the toilet door and the two bunk hatches.

One still wonders why the cabin is for ‘climbers.’ The naming seems to reinforce the idea of a remote, off-the-grid retreat, a place of solitude in the hills; but maybe one has to be a climber just to get into bed? The interior images show the double bed high in the mezzanine space formed by the shaping of the roof, but indicate no way of getting up there. The children’s bunks and the toilet areas are shown on the plan, with a door leading into the toilet space, and a hatch providing access to each bunk. Again, it seems that one has to climb into and out of each bunk through its unusual hatch access. One wonders how the beds are made, and how one might get to the bathroom in the middle of the night. There are no photographs of the mezzanine, of the toilet area, or of the bunk room.

The lounge in front of the toilet door - that one is not supposed to see?

Can one really sit on the butterfly chair without hitting one's head?

One is only shown the dividing wall between the living space and these other areas, with the 'concealed' door and hatches. These openings are very difficult to see, because they have been detailed, clad as a part of the continuity of the timber plank wall lining, uninterrupted, to appear as thought they were not there. If one looks carefully and closely, one can just see the outline of the openings with their hinges. The photographs make it seem as though the door and hatches were not there, with the photographer perhaps wishing that they were not. The reading is muddled because a lounge is located directly in front of the door to the toilet area, and the lower hatch that opens to the lower bunk, making any access to these spaces impossible. What is going on here? Why is this space furnished in this way? The plan shows one thing, with clear door and hatch outward swings indicated, but the photographs present another image. How is one supposed to get into these other areas? Why refer to them if they are to be ignored?

There is no suggestion of anything under the mezzanine being accessible.

The toilet door outline can be seen on the left behind the lounge.

Might it be a furniture display room?

One is shown other ‘designer’ furnishings scattered around the living area which is the only interior space that has been illustrated. Some furnishings have even been indicated on the plans, highlighting the deliberate intent, while others have been ignored; but still the living space looks empty - un-lived-in. One can see nothing of the ‘storage’ that was suggested as the reason for skewing one of the walls. It seems that the reason for deforming the other was to pitch the roof for the mezzanine – maybe; this has not been explained. Both ‘rational’ distortions that have been manipulated in a pragmatic manner, seem superficial – more style than purpose; a style revealed and celebrated in the photographs.#

The butterfly chair on the left has been moved into a place where one might be able to sit on it;

but isn't this the 'storage' area?

The place is attractive but has a strange sense of 'un-liveability.'

The project begins to appears all very contrived. Looking at the deck surround, one sees large frames protruding out of one side of the cabin, penetrating the deck, making even walking along the deck look like a tricky manoeuvre; while sitting on this portion of the exterior seems to involve a very self-conscious action. As for the idea that the children’s area might open up to the outside, one remains puzzled. There is no indication in the drawings of any door that could give external access to this area. Could there be a hatch like those leading to the bunks? Why have hatches for any access? Is this the ‘climbing’ idea?

There are no doors in the side or rear that are never photographed; but can one see a hatch?

Slowly one begins the think that the whole concept is about style, with forms contorted ‘for interest’ alone, and with the publication being purely for pretty, promotional purposes – for admiration. Looking at the picture window entry, one tries to imagine access as the body moves along the deck and addresses the angle, only to be directed into the leaning side wall before having to make a twist to be truly involved in the living space. It all starts to feel awkward; developed for display – different; stylish.

What is going on here? Maybe the place has not yet been completed? Why rush for publicity? Still, the photography seems to want to indulge the vision outlined in the ‘text description’ provided by the architects, carefully choosing the ‘interesting’ angles. One is reminded of Hadids’s Glasgow Transport Museum in one photograph, and begins to feel manipulated by slick images that are pretending to be something that is just not there, remaining flummoxed, still wondering: why ‘a climber’s cabin’? The whole scheme brings to mind the quirky Kevin McCloud project – a shingled man-cave.

Mind the framing.

The point of this analysis is that architectural publications are providing us with flighty ideals - voguish ambitions, shaped by clever images. What can we truly come to learn about this project when matters seem so self-consciously muddied? One can only suppose that we are being encouraged to have nice feelings about this scheme, to dream of its wondrous woodland/stream context outlined as the intention of the architects. These visions are identified in the text, but appear to be achieved only by careful framing that excludes what looks like the suburban context; the different reality. One recalls the phrase ‘alternative facts.’ The project is all a little edgy.

There seems to be some additional external lights here.

Perhaps these publications are not intended to be given any detailed attention or such scrutiny, just the ‘Pinterest’ gaze* that admires the bespoke difference and style with an agreeable ‘LIKE’ as the eye moves on to peruse the next image, and the ones after that, with equal feel-good reactions that comfort the emotions with entertaining panache? It is a state of being that seems to have taken over architecture, leaving rigour and practicalities to exist merely as flimsy words; as part of the make-believe? It seems that all that one needs to consider is appearance.

Where/what is this? Might this be the 'house'?

THE TEXT

Text description provided by the architects. The Climber’s Cabin is a new project recently completed by award-winning, Winchester-based Architects AR Design Studio. Sitting between the edge of deciduous woodland and a stream, its purpose is to serve as guest accommodation and as an independent space for the children as they grow older.

The brief was to create a compact, off-the-grid, self-build ancillary space for their house. With the client having little experience in construction, part of the brief was to design the cabin such that it could be self-built, making use of straightforward construction methods and sustainable, locally sourced materials that would allow much of the work to be carried out by the client with support from friends.

At just 25sqm and a brief to sleep four, space was at a premium. The cabin started out as a 6x4m box which was then manipulated in a pragmatic manner to maximize the available floor area. To begin with, the roof was pitched in order to make space for a mezzanine. Then the volume was increased on one side to provide space for storage without compromising floor space. Finally, the front truss was rotated towards the northwest in order to create a trap for the late evening sun and allow for a small sheltered terrace.

A large terrace wraps around the side of the cabin for use during the warmer months. An adaptable living space to the front takes advantage of the large picture window while at the rear there are two children’s bunks with a double bed over at the mezzanine level. Smaller windows provide framed views of the woodland from the sleeping spaces. The children’s bunks have direct access to the terrace connecting their own personal space with the garden.

The cabin is constructed around four A-Frame trusses. These were fabricated off-site and erected in a similar fashion to a barn raising, resting atop simple pad foundations and brick piers. Upcycled scaffold boards form the interior finishes while locally sourced cedar shingles clad the exterior. Between is a thick layer of insulation, ensuring that the Cabin remains warm all year round and minimizing its heating requirements.

This sustainable approach to construction gives a very natural texture to the building and emphasizes the relationship with the surrounding woodlands. The result is a tranquil space that makes use of natural materials, glass, and its context to create a real sense of connection to the surrounding woodlands and provide a small escape from the everyday.

The 'maison de jardin' at Winchester - a Climber;s Cabin?

#

NOTE:

One recalls Harry Seidler’s Thredbo ski lodge, but its angled resolutions seem to have more necessity than those of the climber’s cabin.

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11 JUNE 2022

The concept of the ‘Pinterest’ gaze can also be seen in the article on the new tower development in Toronto – see: https://www.dezeen.com/2022/06/09/wilkinsoneyre-cibc-square-skyscraper-toronto/.

He headline tells us what to admire: WilkinsonEyre wraps Toronto skyscraper in “three-dimensional diamonds. The photographs highlight the idea. One is never prompted to ask about the experience of this ‘clever’ initiative for those working in the ‘skyscraper.’ One is only encouraged to enjoy the bespoke ‘diamonds,’ which is a word that identifies both value and sparkle, as well as a simple geometric shape. The headline slyly involves all these meanings. The stage is set for viewing, not for interrogation. Questions like - How is this detailed? Why? What happens inside? What happens at the corners? What is the value of the ‘diamonds’ internally? What is the street experience? - are all put to one side agreeably by the entertained eye. Everything is about enjoying the appearance. The eye is offered one enthralling image after the other for folk to feel good about - NEXT.