In 2016, the Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) challenged a class of 28 students to create seven 200 square foot Micro Cabins deep in a lodgepole pine forest. Each of these cabins was required to house one or two people and to meet the International Energy Conservation Code for the coldest climate of the USA.
Featuring a steel-clad exterior, the prefabricated dwellings blend with the lodgepole forest, minimizing their visual impact, while the taped glazing on the windows offers captivating views of the surrounding trees, rocks and the distant Mosquito Range mountains. Each box is lined with simple birch plywood forming desks, beds, and plenty of storage. Using structurally insulated panels in the walls, the flat roofs of these micro-cabins are also designed to utilize snowfall for extra insulating purposes.
Each unique cabin is powered by a single electrical circuit capable of running LED lights and small appliances. There is a central lodge for more energy intense activities such as cooking and bathing.
