US firm Best Practice Architecture looked to vernacular architecture while designing a weekend retreat in a rural town that is becoming an arts hub.
The project, called Cloud Ranch, is located in Tieton, an agricultural community in central Washington that has attracted artists in recent years.
Cloud Ranch is located in an agricultural region with a burgeoning artist community
The Seattle-based artist and collector Michael Northrup decided to build a weekend retreat there.
Rather than purchasing an existing house, he searched for a forlorn property he could transform into a private dwelling, along with a gathering place for the arts community.
The project was designed as a retreat for artist Michael Northrup
He ended up buying a one-acre property with a shuttered facility for processing apples. Northrup then turned to Seattle's Best Practice Architecture to create a modest home on the site, in addition to converting the rundown warehouse into a creative space that could be used for events like art exhibitions and movie nights.
Simple materials like plywood are used for the interiors
The overarching design goal was to honour the site's history and surrounding context.
"While most weekend getaways are designed for the individual, Cloud Ranch was envisioned as a welcoming gathering place to promote the arts," the architects said.
The ground floor contains a bedroom
"We worked closely with Northrup to develop a design inspired by the city's mission to bridge the ...