DeSoto Magazine – Southern Girl Afield - Ann Yungmeyer

started talking about doing a shack with a
dog trot,” says Lee.
In the meantime, Field, who had been
a partner in the Shack Up Inn operation,
had already purchased land across the
tracks and had moved an original shack to
the place. Eventually, all the partners
would decide to build guest shacks but
with a completely different slant. Field, an
architect who also lived in Colorado,
introduced the group to the idea of a
highly energy-efficient shack that
appeared old.
“The old shacks are getting harder and
harder to find, and when you can find
them, you have to practically rebuild them.
These shacks look old, but they are tight
buildings,” says Field.
The type of construction used is called
Structural Insulated Panels or SIPs, and
Thornhill and Field have handled most of
the construction with the help of
Thornhill’s brother, Roy Thornhill. The
panels arrive in one piece and are
assembled on site. The energy efficiency
results from the thermal-performing wall
systems.
“The floor in my 400-square-foot shack
is eight inches thick. Then, we poured
concrete over the entire floor,” says Lee.
Energy-efficient windows and new
doors make the construction even smarter.
The Shacksdale group works with a
Mississippi-based company in Grenada
called General Panel that uses a client’s
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