Azur Reading Retreat
Oregon

After designing a custom home in the mountains for some clients from the bay area, they requested we create a small reading retreat on a corner of their wooded 10-acre parcel.  The goal was to design a cozy little hideaway to read, relax, recharge, maybe work, or just enjoy some vintage tunes on the turntable.

There was a strong desire to have a minimal impact on this portion of the property.  Therefore, a completely prefabricated structure was designed to allow quick, easy placement with minimal disturbance to the site.  The only required infrastructure was the concrete block footings.  Electricity is supplied by a 1.5 kW PV system on the roof and a Tesla Powerwall battery discreetly tucked behind the shallow cabinets.  There is no plumbing in the structure, and therefore no utility connections to be made.  The building is simply lifted from a flatbed truck onto the concrete footings.

Cross ventilation and shading strategies keep the structure comfortable in the summer months; a small electric heater keeps it cozy in the winter.  The finishes were selected for their zero-maintenance requirements; rusted steel and weathered cedar are the primary exterior materials.

A collaboration with Lightfoot Architecture & Design.

Project Credits