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The Drovers' Bough is a 32-square-meter holiday cabin raised on stilts, designed by London-based Akin Studio for a 27-acre farm in southwest Herefordshire, England. The project was completed in 2021 and won the Architect's Journal Small Projects Award in 2022. Design and architectural features Response to site: Initially conceived as a treehouse, the project was adapted into a raised cabin after the trees were deemed unsuitable for structural support. This solution allows the cabin to sit among the treetops without damaging the trees, while also permitting sheep from the farm to pass underneath on the old drovers' track. Form and exterior: The cabin has a long, narrow, and tall form, referencing the local agricultural buildings found in Herefordshire. It is clad in rough-sawn larch, with the structure and stilts made from locally sourced green oak. Interior layout: The interior features an efficient, compact design. A staircase leads to the main level, which includes a double-height living area that opens onto a south-facing terrace. A galley kitchen and bathroom are tucked beneath a mezzanine bedroom. Connection to nature: Large, folding east- and west-facing windows can be opened completely, blurring the line between inside and outside and creating framed views of the surrounding trees and fields. Smaller, strategically placed windows provide intimate views and cross-ventilation. Material details: The interior incorporates locally sourced materials, including reclaimed floorboards and natural plaster. The bathroom features a spring-fed bath surrounded by a Moroccan tadelakt finish. Sustainability Sustainable construction: Akin Studio used screw-pile foundations to minimize disturbance to the land during construction. Resource efficiency: The cabin uses reclaimed floorboards and insulation, and electricity is generated by solar panels on the farm. Water is sourced from a local spring. Waste reduction: Doors and terrace decking were created from surplus oak offcuts to minimize waste. Credits Architects: Akin Studio (Louis Jobst and Ross Keenan). Structural Engineer: DAT Design. Year of completion: 2021. Photography: David Grandorge. Awards: Architect's Journal Small Projects Award 2022.
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Akin Studio:
We are an award-winning architecture and design studio with a wide range of experience in designing buildings and spaces for living, the arts, public realm, and commercial uses, as well as bespoke furniture design and installations. We are committed to design that is specific to place by exploring the found conditions of an existing interior, building, and site. We make connections by looking at the history, local construction language, landscape, as well as the social and cultural setting. This process allows us to create characterful, timeless yet contemporary projects that complement and reinforce the qualities of a place. The studio approaches sustainability from both a technical and pragmatic position. We specialize in ultra-low energy design, with a certified Passivhaus designer in the team and a breadth of knowledge in deep retrofit, re-use, and low embodied energy materials. We have studios in East London and Frome, Somerset, but are able to work across the UK. We're excited to meet potential clients and collaborators to discuss projects of any scale.
