Fireside
Fireside is a small cabin project designed to withstand wildfires in the forests of North Idaho. Composed of two simple slabs of cross-laminated timber, the cabin is char-proof — its mass timber construction chars on the surface during exposure to fire, forming a protective layer that preserves the structural core beneath. The result is a building that stands proud on the landscape, shaped by the forces it was built to resist.
The form is deliberately elemental. Two planes — floor and roof — define the space, leaving the landscape to complete the enclosure. The cabin sits lightly on the land, opening to the forest on all sides while remaining anchored enough to endure it. It is architecture that acknowledges its environment honestly: built well, to live well within it.
Exterior — North Idaho Forest
Interior bar surface — raw CLT grain
Site context — designed for the landscape it inhabits
Trail approach — the cabin emerges from the treeline
CLT slab detail — the material tells the story of fire resistance
Interior — the landscape becomes the enclosure