Family Retreat
Cabins
Ocracoke, NC
​
Kent State University
Fall 2013
Professor:
Daniel Vieyra, Ph.D., AIA
The property in Ocracoke is a shared ownership group between multiple parties in a large extended family. The site is a reunion spot where individual parts of the family or families and friends, or the entire family will gather to experience a camp-like feeling on the island.
Created are spaces which accommodate each family individually, while offering gathering various gathering spaces for the entire collective group. The architecture maximizes the barrier island experience by emphasizing associated views and activities.
Different typologies of cabins, retreats, co-housing, and tiny houses were studied and inspired the design. These include Siasconset Cottages on Nantucket Island, Kamp Kippy, various A-frame cabins, as well as other small cabin types.
​Another precedent was the JP Clark House in Palm Springs, CA. Originally a bachelor house isolated on the site, as his family grew, separate yet interconnected sections were added, and the house became an integrated part of the site.
​One of the first steps in organizing the design was to perform a site analysis in plan and section, based on several factors including code and zoning issues for Ocracoke, climate conditions, and other features. Each piece of information was then overlaid on top of another in the form of a ‘flip book’. Individual pages would be compared with one another, and this book as a whole informed the overall design of the site.
Site Plan
Longitudinal Section
Transverse Section (East)
Transverse Section (West)
Although made up of five distinct structures, they are connected as one whole that is integrated into the site through a series of elevated and ground level walkways. From the road, the main living cabin is the first large A-frame structure. Moving west, there is an enclosed exterior space in between the walkways, sleeping cabins, and the view tower, that eventually opens up into the sound.
Main Living Cabin
The primary indoor gathering place on the site, this A-Frame cabin holds a kitchen and dining area, as well as living room spaces on the ground and upper floors. On the west side of the cabin, a glass wall offers views out through the site and out to the Pamlico Sound.
View Tower
​A lighthouse is a seaside icon, and the view from the top, a staple of beach vacations. The ‘View Tower’ aims to bring these exciting panoramic experiences to the individual family on vacation.
Sleeping Cabins
​This typology, based on a pulled apart A-frame, is designed to be a place where people can rest for the night. There are several of these on the site, each providing a place for a different part of the family. Each cabin accommodates five individuals, two on the ground level, and three on the upper level. A full bathroom is also included with each cabin. Entries are on either the ground level, or the upper walkway.
