Tag: Rural Architecture

Compact Timber Frame Cabin with Viewing Deck

A carefully crafted timber frame cabin with outbuilding and elevated viewing deck — a compact retreat where every square metre earns its place.

Small does not mean simple. This compact cabin proves that a modest footprint, when thoughtfully designed, can deliver comfort, character, and a genuine connection to its surroundings. The primary structure uses exposed timber framing — a warm, tactile system that gives the interior a sense of craft and honesty — with elevations that open generously to the views on three sides.

The ground floor plan organises all essential living functions efficiently: a main living area, kitchen, and bathroom within a compact form, with a covered outbuilding adjacent for storage or utility use. A separate viewing deck extends from the site, elevated to capture long views across the landscape — a simple addition that transforms the property’s relationship to its setting.

The longitudinal section reveals how the timber frame works structurally: paired rafters, a clear ridge beam, and carefully detailed wall-to-foundation connections that tie the building together without excess. This is architecture distilled to its essentials — a shelter that puts its occupants exactly where they want to be.

Residencia de Campo — Veracruz, Mexico

A rural country residence in Veracruz, Mexico, built with concrete blocks, corrugated metal roofing, and louvered wood screens — a working farmstead home designed as much for the land as for its inhabitants.

Sited on a working agricultural property in Veracruz, Mexico, this country residence (residencia de campo) is unpretentious and practical — a home designed to work hard alongside the people who live in it. The architecture responds honestly to its rural context: corrugated metal roofing keeps costs low and performs well in the local climate, while louvered wood screens (lamas de madera) shade the facade and encourage natural ventilation.

The floor plan is straightforward and livable: a salon anchors the social heart of the home, with a kitchen (cocina), bathroom (baño), and primary bedroom (dormitorio) arranged around it. Exterior wood decks extend from multiple sides of the house, connecting indoor life to the landscape and providing shaded outdoor working or gathering space.

Construction uses concrete block walls on reinforced concrete columns, founded on a concrete slab — robust materials that suit both the local building culture and the demands of a working ranch. A separate structure houses a horse trough (bebedero de caballos), a telling detail that locates this design firmly in its agricultural context.