Described by designer GreenSpur as one part Scandinavian minimalism and two parts Virginia countryside, the Lost Whisky Concrete Cabin is an appealing concrete getaway that offers escape from the hustle of daily life. It boasts great views of the surrounding landscape and helps guests unwind with a wood-fired hot tub and net hammock.
The Lost Whisky Concrete Cabin is situated on a rural 50 acre (20 hectare) plot near Marshall, Virginia, and gets its name from two local landmarks called Whiskey Hollow and Lost Mountain.
The idea behind the project is to encourage visitors to switch off their phones and focus on the scenery and each other. With this in mind, the cabin's exterior has a deck area that cantilevers over the hillside, with the wood-fired hot tub at the edge and the net hammock projecting over.
The interior comprises a total floorspace of just 160 sq ft (14.8 sq m) and is simple but well done, with the rugged concrete contrasting nicely with the custom made furniture. It consists of a wood-burning stove, sink, shower, a composting toilet and a Murphy-style drop-down bed that doubles up as a table. A small kitchenette area includes a propane stove.
The Lost Whisky Concrete Cabin runs fully off-the-grid with solar panels and rainwater collection (water is drawn from a well too). It was prefabricated and mostly consists of pre-cast concrete panels and SIPs (structurally insulated panels) with a concrete skin, as well as generous glazing.
GreenSpur also says it was designed to require little maintenance and the firm hopes that it will look and function much the same in 100 years. The project wasn't without its challenges, however.
"The hardest challenge was building a concrete cabin on top of a mountain. Access was almost impossible during the winter," says GreenSpur. "We had to drill our well over 700 feet [213 m] deep to get water to the site, and even then the well was nowhere near the rock we wanted to build the cabin on. Hauling prefabricated concrete panels up the side of a mountain was no easy task either."
The Lost Whisky Concrete Cabin is available for people to stay in, though you won't find it on Airbnb. It's the first cabin in GreenSpur's Lost Whisky club which is very exclusive and is currently only allowing 10 members in total.
Source: GreenSpur