Dwell 2015 11

modern world
houses we love
Berkshire House Plan
A Bathroom
B Bed Loft
C Kitchen
D Living Room
E Deck
F Entrance
A
B
C
D
F
E
N
apartments prepared us for the efficiency
that this project required,” says
Gentzler of the 850-square-foot cabin.
“The small footprint also helped us create
the intense relationship with nature
that the clients wanted.”
That inside-outside connection is
reinforced by double-height glazing in
the living room, financed by savings
resulting from the project’s small scale.
Other decisions kept costs down while
bringing the home closer to the natural
world: The exterior is visibly knotted
pine, and the building frame is engineered
wood, not steel.
Nature did have one expensive—but
enchanting—surprise in store. On the
long and sloping lot, the best siting for
the house turned out to be a rocky ledge.
“We were naive when we bought the
lot and didn’t know there was so much
ledge,” McGoff says. “But we are so happy
because, in the end, that is what makes
this house so special.”
“The cantilevered deck was always
part of the design,” adds Gentzler. “But
now that the house is perched on the
rock outcropping, the living spaces are
20 feet above grade, up among the treetops.
This really enhances the feeling of
immersion in the surroundings.”
A south-facing overhang extends
above the porch, blocking direct summer
sunlight and helping keep the interior
cool. But in the winter, when trees are
bare and the sun is low, light streams in
and warms the space. Spray-foam insulation
and an advanced heat-recovery
ventilator maximize these effects.
Whether nature is bare or in leaf,
McGoff and Salas agree that the home
brings them closer to nature than the
tent they used to share.
“When we used to camp, we often
ended up spending time in nearby
towns,” says McGoff. “Now, we just park
the car and hunker down.”
Adds Salas: “We never want to leave.”
The residents splurged on
double-height Marvin Integrity
windows (left), but saved by
using knotted pine planks for
the exterior (above). The kitchen
and lofted guest bedroom
(below) take cues from urban
living—including an apartmentsize
Summit refrigerator. The
cabinets are IKEA and the tile
is by Heath Ceramics.
64 NOVEMBER 2015 DWELL