Page 77 - Winter_2018

ArchDC Winter 2018.qxp_Winter 2018 11/27/18 9:39 AM Page 75

Interior with Murphy bed in the down position. Interior looking out toward the landscape.

All photos © Mitch Allen—Mitch Allen Photography

Visitors to the cabin, which GreenSpur characterizes as a speakeasy from a water trough for horses, a fire pit that warms the hot tub
on a mountaintop, are invited to kick back, stare into the middle via 1½-inch copper lines, and a hammock net suspended over
distance, and eventually share their experience with others. open space. The project, GreenSpur said, “is one part Scandinavian
The shell of the off-grid, low-maintenance cabin consists of minimalism and two parts Virginia countryside.”
steel beams and prefabricated, tilt-up concrete panels. The project The Lost Whiskey Cabin is a deceptively simple-looking
includes a Murphy bed and dining table, a 12-volt, solar-powered structure with a sophisticated underlying philosophy. The project
battery for electricity, a cistern that collects rainwater from the roof, “is about exploring our personal limits of slowing down and
a sink and a propane-fueled cooktop, a shower and a composting simplifying. It’s about the value of time and experiences over
toilet, and a wood-burning stove for space heating. Although information and accumulation,” the firm said. “The secret ingredient
GreenSpur refers to it as a lean-to, the cabin is a well-insulated is the escape—the trees, a warm blanket, a good book, hopefully a
structure that maintains a comfortable room temperature in the good drink, and with any luck, a good conversation with a friend
middle of winter. The roof’s large overhang reduces heat gain on or family member. It’s meant to bring out the best versions of
the south-facing windows in summer. ourselves—who we are, after some quality time on the mountain,
The cabin’s 22-foot-long deck cantilevers into open space, away from technology, if only for a few days. This project is about
inviting occupants to launch their thoughts into the countryside rediscovering the lost art of gathering.”
beyond. The deck includes a drinking chair, a hot tub fabricated

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