Wenatchee River Cabin in Plain, Washington by Wittman Estes

5 days ago
2 min read

The client had acquired this nearly 1/2-acre property to serve as a base camp for outdoor adventures. For 10 years he camped on site, often with friends, becoming intimately acquainted with the landscape and the region. Just prior to the pandemic, he decided to build, desiring a small cabin that kept the focus on the forest and the river. As design and construction began and work-from-home became the norm, the owner, who was living in the greater Seattle area, began spending much more time at the property, eventually opting to live there full-time once the cabin was complete.

Owner involvement in construction was a priority, which reinforced the need for a simple and minimal design solution. Built with durable materials, such as concrete and steel, and shaped by the forces of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, the modest 746-square-foot, one-bedroom cabin reflects an interdependence between surrounding ecosystems and architecture. Because the cabin sits within the river’s floodplain, the main floor was elevated ten feet above the ground by six concrete columns to provide a resilient design response. The simple form strikes a harmonious balance between shelter and nature.

The cabin is composed of three levels: the ground level provides a covered parking space where the client can work on his vintage Bronco with protection from rain and snow; the middle level is essentially one large space (living, dining, and kitchen) and a full bathroom; the top level holds the main bedroom, office, a half-bathroom, and a loft with a cantilevered steel deck.

A single, twenty-foot-wide by twenty-four-foot-high window wall focuses views towards the river while screening the neighbors. In the bedroom, a view portal looks over the living room and the river beyond. A lifelong metalworker, the owner fabricated the raw steel kitchen countertops and backsplash, the hemlock and steel dining room table, and the tube steel and metal mesh guardrails.

The living space features a cozy, wood-burning fireplace tucked beneath a fir-framed loft. The interior finishes are minimal, creating a simple backdrop for nature, light, and artwork. What was once a one-bedroom weekend cabin has become an idyllic, full-time home.