![Bear Run Cabin / David Coleman Architecture - Exterior Photography](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e55/6fa3/6ee6/7e4e/7800/03f6/newsletter/b_Marblemount2.jpg?1582657419)
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Architects: David Coleman Architecture
- Area: 1890 ft²
- Year: 2018
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Photographs:Benjamin Benschneider
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Manufacturers: Duravit, Fry Reglet, Acor, Amerilux, Ann Sacks, Aquabrass, Benjamin Moore, James Hardie, McNichols, Milgard, Rais, Toto
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Lead Architect: David Coleman Architecture
![Bear Run Cabin / David Coleman Architecture - Exterior Photography, Facade, Concrete](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e55/6df1/6ee6/7e94/3b00/01a2/newsletter/h_Marblemount8.jpg?1582656976)
Text description provided by the architects. Located on a rain-drenched site in the rugged, north-western foothills of the Cascade Mountains, this modest, sustainable building has a big presence in a big landscape. Surrounded by dramatic, mountain peaks, the site slopes to the east and overlooks a large woodlot. Our clients wanted a building that had presence in and subservience to the wild landscape. This duality became the thematic tag that informed the design.
![Bear Run Cabin / David Coleman Architecture - Interior Photography, Wood, Glass](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e55/6e30/6ee6/7e4e/7800/03ab/newsletter/f_Marblemount6.jpg?1582657047)
![Bear Run Cabin / David Coleman Architecture - Image 22 of 23](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e55/6c6e/6ee6/7e94/3b00/019d/newsletter/Bear_Run_Floor_Plan.jpg?1582656612)
![Bear Run Cabin / David Coleman Architecture - Exterior Photography, Door](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e55/6ee4/6ee6/7e94/3b00/01a6/newsletter/c_Marblemount3.jpg?1582657222)
In order to preserve the rugged landscape, we limited the building’s footprint to a 30’ by 100’ rectangle. Two buildings are juxtaposed within this footprint in a ying/yang fashion, leaving a sinuous exterior space that is defensible and varied. The western terrace is carved into the site, stepping down into the earth, leading to a soaking tub set behind a glass wall. The south-eastern porch and monumental stair, both covered by a soaring roof, rise above the site, offering shelter from the rain and summer sun. Both spaces meet in an interstitial “rain garden” – a place where seasonal rains gather and flow toward the river below.
![Bear Run Cabin / David Coleman Architecture - Interior Photography, Windows](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e55/6d3c/6ee6/7e4e/7800/03a8/medium_jpg/m_Marblemount13.jpg?1582656788)
The building is designed to be seasonally expansive – generous in summer when livability expands outside onto the porches and terraces, modest and efficient in winter. The 890 SF cabin houses a great room, bath and sleeping loft clad in frameless glass. All rooms open toward distant views of the mountains. The 1000 SF studio houses a music room, workshop and guest loft. The west wall is clad in a polycarbonate skin, bathing the interiors in sunlight during the day, and the exterior terrace in a dramatic display of light at night. Building forms are angular and elemental, not unlike the surrounding mountain peaks. The result is a dramatic building, deceptively simple, deeply rooted in the site and unexpectedly crisp and modern.
![Bear Run Cabin / David Coleman Architecture - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Stairs](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e55/6dac/6ee6/7e94/3b00/01a1/medium_jpg/j_Marblemount10.jpg?1582656911)
![Bear Run Cabin / David Coleman Architecture - Interior Photography, Bedroom, Bed](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e55/6f34/6ee6/7e94/3b00/01a8/newsletter/r_Marblemount18.jpg?1582657306)
Sustainable features include geothermal heat, plantation-sourced wood, super insulation, and passive solar. The cabin’s shell was built by a local contractor and finished by the client on a tight budget over several years. The cabin’s name comes from a particularly memorable experience he had during construction.
![Bear Run Cabin / David Coleman Architecture - Exterior Photography](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e55/6dca/6ee6/7e4e/7800/03aa/newsletter/i_Marblemount9.jpg?1582656943)