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Smart ideas for small spaces, plus
the hottest spots to by or build a getaway. Getting back to nature.
Long before he went to architecture school, Andy Neumann was a champion
surfer. So it’s no wonder he refers to his 800-square-foot,
solar powered retreat as “the surf shack.” The strongly
geometric cube-shaped cabin, located 2 miles up a canyon in California’s
Central Coast, packs a lot of design ideas – from storage walls
to a hearth desk – into a compact space overlooking a creek
in rolling, oak-studded ranchland.
“I had the luxury of camping here for three years and taking
my time to get a bead on my design,” says Andy, who shares the
retreat with his wife, Yvonne. “I knew I wanted to experience
the outdoors while being sheltered in an uncomplicated way.”
The kitchen/living/dining area and the enclosed bathroom occupy the
cube; a bedroom is attached on one side like a saddlebag. The shedlike
main roof is actually two triangular planes forming a trough that
echoes the canyon slope and channels runoff to a salvaged anchor chain.
Sliding window walls on four sides and at a corner of the living area
open the house to the landscape.
The remote site is in a high fire-risk zone, so Andy used non-combustive
building materials (including 10-inch-thick plaster and metal lath
walls that are the color of the earth) and eliminated roof overhangs,
a common transfer point for wildfires. Electric power is generated
by solar panels on top of the south-facing detached, one–car
garage. Large capacity military-surplus batteries are used to store
the energy, eliminating the need for a generator. The cabin’s
mechanical systems are in the garage, which keeps the main living
quarters tranquil. Propane powers a very quiet refrigerator and stove,
and heats the water for the radiant heating in the poured concrete
floors.
The layout of the cabin exemplifies Andy’s pared down aesthetic.
“My brother-in-law built me a large maple ‘box’
that I pushed into the corner,” he says. The outside wall of
the box contains cubicles for kitchen storage and books. Inside is
a bathroom and walk-in closet; on top is a study/loft with two beds.
The cabin is both a launch pad for surfing and a place to relax in
the rugged landscape. As for the sleek geometry, Andy says, “It
honors the spirit of freedom that drew me here in the first place.”
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