Texas-based studio Moontower Design Build has constructed a "plant-based" cabin in Austin that features cross-laminated timber structural elements and a facade clad in cork.
Known as Cross Cabin, the accessory dwelling unit measures 1,000 square feet (93 square metres) in an 8,000 square foot (743-square metre) sloping yard that offers views of the horizon through the tree canopy.
Moontower Design Build has constructed a "plant-based" cabin in Austin
Moontower Design Build completed the cabin in 2023 as a direct response to the AIA Architecture & Design Materials Pledge to centre design on the holistic impact of a building.
Motivated by author Michael Pollan's book Food Rules ? which advocates for eating real food in moderation with an emphasis on plants ? Moontower Design Build prioritised materials that were not heavily processed or synthesized and are mostly plant-based. The studio prioritised materials that were not heavily processed or synthesised
The team curated a material palette that created a compelling architectural experience, completed in 2023.
"These natural materials like wood and cork are repeatedly presented throughout the home in ways that are intended to provoke an unconventional sensory engagement with building materials," studio co-founder Greg Esparza told Dezeen.
Wood characterises the interior
The cabin is composed of an elevated cross-laminated timber box "blanketed with plant-based insulation like cork, hemp a...