Country
Cottage
Gays Mills, Wisconsin, USA
Natural & Off-the-Grid
The owners purchased this plot of land in western Wisconsin,
with dramatic views down some 400 feet to the Kickapoo River
below, to hike and camp and perhaps eventually retire to. In
the meantime they wanted to enjoy the rustic comforts of a simple,
natural cottage.
The foot-thick walls are straw-clay and earthen plaster, the
dark brown floor is stabilized earth, and the metal roofing directs
rainwater for showers into the big tank sunk into the hillside
at the rear.
The framing for the sleeping loft floor are recycled timbers.
The owners are working to finish the handmade cabin bit-by-bit.
Martin Jelenc with Acorn
Construction of Belleville, Wisconsin worked with a local
general contractor and led the owner's crew of volunteers who
came to learn about nautural building techniques.
A "truth window" that shows the inner wall material
(above) is becoming a tradition with straw-clay
and strawbale builders.
|
