US firm HGA Architects and Engineers took cues from Cape Cod-style homes while conceiving a series of cabins for world-renowned musicians spending the summer in rural New England.
The Marlboro Music Cottages are located on the 500-acre (202-hectare) campus of Marlboro College, tucked in the foothills of Vermont's Green Mountains. Each summer, the campus hosts the Marlboro Music School and Festival, which began in 1951.

Approximately 80 distinguished classical musicians stay at the verdant campus for seven weeks, homing their craft and hosting public performances. Past attendees include Yo Yo Ma, Jonathan Biss and Murray Perahia.
"Although called a school or a festival, it is in reality more of a sabbatical or cloister for musicians ? a place where eminent artists and exceptional young professionals from around the world gather to live, play and learn together," said HGA Architects and Engineers, a firm based in Minneapolis
While most attendees stay at dormitories on the campus, HGA was charged with creating five cabins to accommodate senior-level musicians.
The cottages needed to embrace the natural setting and pay heed to "the unique and organically evolved culture of the festival", along with its casual atmosphere.

In response, the team ? led Joan Soranno and John Cook, both HGA principals ? conceived small dwellings with cedar plank cladding and pitched roofs. The cabins are situated along an old logging road that has been renamed Musician's Wa...