These photos are of the recently completed new Vermont farmhouse. The house sits on a sloping site and has living space on all three floors. The owner lives primarily on the first floor; the uppermost and lowest levels serve as guest accommodations for a large family. The energy efficient farmhouse is of new construction but sits on a pre-existing foundation on a previously developed site. The White Oak timber framed deck wraps the home on three sides. Inside the farmhouse antique Heart Pine floors, Hemlock timbers and milk painted Cedar wainscoting add detail and character.
Category: recently completed
building a bridge part 2
The 75 foot long prefabricated steel pedestrian bridge arrived in Lincoln, Vermont on a truck. The bridge was in one piece; 75 feet is the maximum length for a single span. Longer spans are fabricated in two pieces and assembled on site. At the site the bridge was lifted off the truck by a crane and placed on the poured concrete abutments. The completed bridge provides access to the remote cabin located on a south facing hillside on the other side of the river. Please see “Winter” and “Cabin Interior” posts below for more on the Remote Cabin.
The photos may make it look easy however it took a lot of work by many folks to design and build this bridge. I consulted with both structural and civil engineers and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources as well as the bridge fabricators. The general contractor, Silver Maple Construction, worked with concrete, crane, excavation and electrical sub contractors. The electrical service for the cabin runs in conduit concealed on the underside of the bridge.
building a bridge part 1
cabin interior
The interior of the remote cabin is finished in wood and features locally milled pine and hemlock and salvaged flooring. Every board that went into the cabin had to be carried over a river and up a hill. We made thoughtful choices about the overall size of the cabin and the material selections. The Hemlock timber trusses were transported in pieces and assembled on site. The trusses support a roof made of structural insulated panels (SIPs). SIPs are an efficient combination of both structure and insulation. The roof supports a snow load of 70 pounds per square foot. We used v-groove pine on the walls and ceiling but varied the finish.
winter
This recently completed rustic cabin is located in Lincoln, Vermont. The south facing cabin is nestled in the woods on a plateau over looking the river below and the Green Mountains beyond. Built on a remote site, the cabin is reached by a 75′ long pedestrian bridge across the New Haven River. Access to the cabin is by a steep footpath and a more gradual woods road. All of the building material were hauled across the river and up the slope. Both the design and construction of the cabin were carefully executed to make the most of the unique site and a tight budget. With a foot print of just over 600 square feet, the small cabin of sustainable design makes efficient use of resources and building materials. Trees that were cleared for the cabin are used in the round log timber framed porch. The exterior siding and shutters are made of local rough sawn pine.
