Author
Ellen Eberhardt
Photographer
JAG studio
In the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, the team behind Kozy Cabins rentals has recently added the "Arrachay" cabin to their lineup of modular, prefab cabins. Similar to the Voxel Quarantine Cabin, Arrachay was built during the pandemic and reimagines our typical live/work spaces, proposing a fresh model for a future relationship between the two.
The cabin's challenging site called for pre-fabrication. Two separate modules were built in a city nearby, then transported 60 miles to be fit together to form the Arrachay cabin. At 10 feet by 16 feet, the cabin was designed to fit easily on a truck bed, like some other prefabs we've seen.
The interior furnishings are simple, designed to hug close to the wall to allow for maximum free space in the middle. A modest kitchen with built-in cabinetry sits across from a carved out window seat, while a bar-high deck spans the width of the cabin and overlooks a mountain view.
A ladder accesses the mezzanine above, where there's just enough room for a double bed surrounded by windows, which both illuminate the space with natural light and allow for a panoramic view from bed. Storage shelving and a wood-burning stove take up the remaining space, rounding out the comfortable, functional interior.
Outside, elevated boardwalks lead to the entrance of the house and merge into a deck that runs the perimeter. On one side, a heated outdoor shower is open to the remote surroundings (who doesn't love an outdoor shower?). In contrast to the lighter interior, the cabin is finished with a dark stain and has dark trims and detailing.
Modern and moody, it makes for a perfect spot to gaze out along mountaintops, or finish a last-minute deadline.
Due to the cooler climate of the Ecuadoran Andes, an experimental insulation called BIOM was hand-packed into the cabin walls. The insulation is non-petroleum based, made of recycled straw leftover from rice harvesting that would otherwise be burned or sent to a landfill, both of which entail negative environment impacts. Here, the straw waste converts to insulation with little energy expenditure, and also provides income to local farmers who sell it. It's powerful thermal performance is perfect for making cabins cozy too.
Functional and sophisticated, the Arrachay Cabin proposes another idea of future-living as a home that responds to the environment and provides just enough to live comfortably. If this is what future housing looks like, we're not complaining.
Published 08-25-2021
