Bear Notch Camp

As you approach Bear Notch Camp, you get the impression that you’re walking into a small, rustic village...An unusual barn - built in the 70’s - at first dominates the site. But as you progress further along, a collection of new buildings opens up and invites you in.

 

The Bear Notch Camp is an 830.0 square foot, off-grid, 2-bedroom, one-bath home. But, it is also a cluster of buildings: a kitchen/living cabin, a sleeping cabin, a connecting porch, and the original, untouched barn. The design was intended to be small, functional and efficient. But, it also needed to allow for ‘areas of refuge’ when the home was full of family and friends.

 

A small photo-voltaic system located on the roof of the kitchen/living cabin generates power for this home - built for a family of four as a retreat from their professional lives down south. The battery storage system used to power the site is stored in the original barn.

 

When the owners contacted us, they spoke about their love of this land and how they felt “placed” at this bend of the Swift River. But, they were also adamant about not repeating a common archetype of homes in the area: the 3,000+ square-foot, log cabin.

 

Because of the remoteness of the home, materials we’re locally sourced when feasible. Eastern white pine boards - cut and sawn locally - we’re used extensively throughout the project for interior and exterior finishes.