Images: Jeremy Bittermann
The owners of a 20-acre site overlooking Case Inlet in Lakebay wanted to build a cabin that was modern, low-maintenance and transparent. Enter Seattle-based architecture and interior design company mw|works, who created Case Inlet Retreat, a two-story, 2,800-square-foot cabin that's meant to take full advantage of the Key Peninsula surroundings. That cabin is also one of eleven projects recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for excellence in architecture in 2016.
The living space projects west into the tree canopy on a cantilevered platform, capturing views of the water and sunset. The kitchen reaches out through a sliding glass door to engage the meadow and the afternoon sun. And in the master bedroom, a notch was removed from the building to create an outdoor room for bathing in the forest. Despite its size, the cabin is intended to feel smaller than it is, allowing for nature to permeate the space and never feel removed from the surroundings. The project will be officially honored at the AIA 2016 National Convention in Philadelphia, May 19-21.
· 2016 AIA Institute Honor Awards for Architecture [AIA]
· Case Inlet Retreat [AIA]
· mwworks cabin wins AIA award [DJC]