Update On The Minimalist Cabin Project

The Minimalist Cabin Project is moving along quite well, here is a general update.

The property I’m mainly looking at is being negotiated and scoped out for a well. I have major concerns about forrest fires, pine beetle and the general health of water in the area, but besides that is a wonderful place. Within a 20 minute drive from Boulder and features a dirt road entrance as you crest a hill. Some great views. I hope we can meet on price and then I will be on an absolute creep mode in savings to put everything together.

Carsten Boschen from Goat Architecture shares a similar love for this modern & minimalist cabin and has been helping immensely with general concepts, bootstrapping techniques and the 1000 questions I have about building in Colorado. A true hero of the project. Super nice guy who has been a member of the Boulder community for quite a while. We would have never connected if it were not for Instagram, of all networks.  He even came to my birthday dinner this year.

We are looking at a two bedroom but still minimal at heart cabin. A place that can seat 30 for dinner and be a home to a few people. Carsten put the following space designs (note, not the actual design) of the space, highlighting the first choice of land that I have.

Minimalist Cabin

two-bed-mountain-cabin

About 1000 square feet.  The kitchen and living room area in this design are going to be flipped. The side facing the view is going to open up somehow, depending on the materials we can find.

It is a strong start. It feels like there are five or six crux moves to get this project finished, and this partnership is move one. Now I need to focus on the financing and general budget to see if everything can be pieced together.

This feels out of my comfort zone by 1000x and a properly crazy idea, but I have not felt like that for a while.  That feels fantastic.


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10 responses to “Update On The Minimalist Cabin Project”

  1. David Sanchez Avatar

    Andrew, what exactly about the cabin will be “minimal”?

  2. NULL Avatar
    NULL

    The original aim was a 500sqft cabin similar to the one I helped build in Alaska in 2002.  The main costs associated with the project are land, well and septic and the cost difference between 500 and 1000 is quite small.  The extra bedroom allows for guests, which is something important to put in.  

    So, it isn’t a cubby, but the goal is to build a minimalist style modern cabin.

  3. David Sanchez Avatar

    Very cool. Being from Texas, I have dreamed for years of doing something very similar with a barn. But now I live in Southern California and owning anything on a single income out here is next to impossible. I look forward to see what you can do with the cabin once you settle on a land parcel. Good luck!

  4. Debbie Pelzmann Avatar

    Have you seen the current issue of Dwell? The home featured in the cover story has some brilliant natural lighting design (read: lots of windows) and has a very modern cabin-y feel. I think it’s about 1100 sqft. and houses a family of 4 on 20 acres of land in Hawaii. Plus, there’s a rockin’ tree house out back. 
    http://www.dwell.com/magazine/Light–Energy.html

  5. Adria Avatar
    Adria

    well there’s no doubt in my mind that she will be very pretty!
    😉

  6. Hans Holmes Avatar
    Hans Holmes

    After hearing about your cabin in Alaska I’m sure you are familiar, but I can’t help but mention Richard Proenneke’s One Man’s Wilderness. Amazing man that kept awesome journals.

  7. Mindy Avatar
    Mindy

    I’m looking forward to following the progress! I’m down the road from you (about two hours) in Manitou Springs Co. I want to sell my home, by a couple acres in the mountains, and have a lovely minimalist cabin! Can’t wait to see yours!! Boulder is an awesome town…such a wonderful vibe and energy…

  8. pooh Avatar

    I’m new to minimalism, came to it via Sean ogle, exile lifestyle, theminimalists. I’m intrigued by this cabin idea and was wondering what the project looks like today or if it was abandoned.

  9. andrewhyde Avatar
    andrewhyde

    Design is done, wasn’t able to get the property so the project is on hold.

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