Cardrona Cabin: A Testament to Sustainable Architecture

Abodo Wood's Award-Winning Design Redefines Timber Building

The Cardrona Cabin stands out for its unique properties. It is a demonstration of what can be achieved when the built environment is viewed from a different perspective. The cabin is a chapel to craft, inside and out, with timbers sourced from rapidly renewable FSC certified New Zealand plantation timbers. These timbers help mitigate climate change by absorbing vast amounts of carbon, a stark contrast to the slow-grown, imported timbers usually used in premium homes and structures. The Vulcan timber elements used in the cabin alone store over 9 tonnes of carbon.

The building showcases the Abodo timber range, realized using state-of-the-art thermal modification and grain orientation technology. The form is presented as a monolith of rigorously set-out battened timber, floating on a recessed piled foundation. The exterior's restrained materiality contrasts with the interior structure and surfaces, which are a rich articulation of New Zealand builders' craft.

Technical specifications of the design include a facade and roof made of Abodo Vulcan timber screening finished in Sioox, a silicate-based wood finish designed to silver off. The structure is made of Abodo Vulcan timber in exposed studs and rafters in raw finish combined with exposed steel portals. The interiors are made of Abodo Vulcan Panelling TG9 raw finish, and the flooring is made of Abodo Thermally Modified Silver Beech finished in Whittle Evolution hard wax oil.

The design of the Cardrona Cabin faced several challenges, one of which was the incorporation of a rainscreen system around the building. This system needed to be custom designed and was crucial to showcase rainscreen cladding as a sustainable and efficient way to bring a sleek timber facade to any project.

The Cardrona Cabin is not just a building; it is a statement about sustainable architecture and innovative design. It is a testament to the potential of thinking differently about the built environment and the role that architecture can play in mitigating climate change. The cabin is a showcase of what can be achieved when the focus is shifted from traditional, slow-grown timbers to rapidly renewable plantation timbers.

The Cardrona Cabin's design was awarded the Golden A' Design Award in 2022, a testament to its outstanding and trendsetting design. The award is granted to creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom, advance art, science, design, and technology, and significantly impact the world with their desirable characteristics.