FAMILY WOLDHAUS

The steep quarter-section parcel of land outside of Missoula was purchased to fulfill a long-held dream of forest stewardship and family gathering. Dubbed ‘Wolden’ after the old English wold: a forested hill, and Walden Pond, a place of intimacy and reflection, the land is both legacy and hope for the future.

The cabin is a story that embodies the values of its inhabitants: demonstration of sustainable wood technology, a footprint that can flex to house from two to twelve, and resilient off grid living. An antique family stove holds the place of honor in the kitchen flanked by site-cut blue pine counter slabs covering owner-built cabinets. Rough band-sawn ponderosa beams harvested during forest thinning on site stiffen smooth cream-colored Cross Laminated Timber panels from Austria. The project exemplifies building practices that demonstrate carbon sequestration and wildfire resiliency while celebrating the warmth and beauty of wood.

An insulated permanent wood foundation encloses a crawlspace for storage and a 2000-gallon rainwater cistern. The porch and cabin floor are glulam panels that provide fire resistance, structure, and finish all in one. The cabin walls and roof are a hybrid of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and light frame construction that demonstrate economic, structural, and energy efficiency, utilizing each material to its highest value. The building can be heated with a wood stove sized for use on small boats; even with weeks at sub-zero temperatures the crawlspace never drops below freezing. Expansive windows in the living room capture ever-changing views of Wisherd Ridge and the Twin Creek drainage while smaller openings throughout the cabin offer glimpses of passing wildlife and weather.

Components:
19mm exterior and interior cladding
60mm paraffin wood fiber exterior board insulation and weather barrier
2x6 insulated stud cavity
42mm CLT loft floor panels with 4x6 ponderosa beam stiffeners
Brettstapel glulam floor and porch panels
Glulam beams at ridge, loft edge, and midspan floor beam
Ponderosa porch timbers harvested on site
‘Katydid’ small wood stove