Road D Shelter
Table Mountain, WA
Situated at the transition from basalt canyon to broad rolling ridge, the shelter creates a bridge between these two distinct features of the landscape. By inhabiting the edge of each of these territories the shelter is not consumed by either. It can comfortably live at the edge for it is the exact point where scales begin to change. It can be the change. It is precisely here, at the edge, that the inhabitants are able to occupy the space of the canyon while simultaneously experiencing the broad openness of the ridge.
As a modest weekend shelter it is compact at just 240 square feet and is created from three primary components.
A pavilion provides year-round sleeping and a protective hearth.
A long wind-fence creates a sheltered space on the exposed ridgeline.
A deck lifts outdoor activity off the rocky ground and establishes a stage in the landscape.
Through the seasons these elemental components provide for a varied and dramatic interaction with the western landscape. The inhabitants experience refuge and retreat as well as exposure and connectedness to their environment.