Pearlstein Cabin
Grahamsville, New York
This cabin was designed as an artist’s retreat to provide a functionally minimum shelter which could serve the occasional need for seclusion. The cabin is intended to be used only as an area of refuge on property which is treated as a land sanctuary.

The uncluttered and direct design approach reveals the underlying structure, and the responsibility of clarifying the structural ambiguity of the cube was assumed. The distribution of structural forces was visually resolved by providing incrementally expressive changes in the dimensions of all structural elements. Thus exposed, both the essence of the cabin form and the nature of the materials are exhibited to their fullest.

The cabin was also designed to be economically efficient. Ease of construction using only materials readily available from local lumber yards was an important consideration. Foundation costs were minimal since the cabin had to be raised on posts due to the possibility of spring flooding from the stream. The shell was constructed of standard-size douglas fir lumber and a composite skin made up of plywood panels and foam insulation. A four foot module was used. All plywood panels are one, two or four foot squares, and are organized in a quilted pattern to accommodate the required fenestration. The core was constructed almost entirely of particle board, laminated where necessary to provide structural rigidity. All exposed shell and core materials were coated with a clear, natural finish.

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