Project Overview

Whiskey Creek Cabin

High-Performance SIP Cabin Designed for Comfort, Resilience, and Family Use

Whiskey Creek Lodge is a custom personal cabin in Washington, designed for family and friends to gather, relax, and enjoy year-round comfort in a rural setting. While often described as a “lodge” due to its size and character, the building is a privately owned retreat—not a hospitality facility—built to support extended stays, shared use, and long-term durability.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) were used as the primary building envelope system, enabling the owners to construct a high-performance, resilient cabin efficiently while relying on a combination of professional oversight and hands-on help from family and friends.

Design and Sustainability

The cabin was designed to balance simplicity, performance, and resilience in a region subject to temperature swings, wildfire risk, and seasonal extremes. The design prioritizes a tight, well-insulated envelope paired with passive and low-energy strategies to maintain comfort with minimal mechanical input.

SIP construction forms the backbone of this approach, providing continuous insulation, reduced air leakage, and structural strength while simplifying the overall construction process.

Why SIPs?

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) were selected for their performance, constructability, and adaptability. In addition to delivering energy efficiency and durability, SIPs allowed the owner to take a hands-on role in construction.

Using SIPs, the exterior envelope of the cabin was assembled by family and friends over four weekends during organized work parties, demonstrating how panelized construction can empower owner-builders while still delivering professional-grade performance.

Benefits of SIPs

The use of SIPs provided several key advantages for the Whiskey Creek Lodge:

• Energy Efficiency:
  Continuous insulation and airtight construction reduce heating and cooling demand.

• Interior Comfort:
  Stable indoor temperatures are maintained with minimal mechanical input.

• Construction Efficiency:
  Panelized SIP assemblies allowed rapid enclosure with a small, non-professional crew.

• Durability and Resilience:
  SIPs support a robust enclosure well suited for rural and wildfire-prone environments.

Performance & Sustainability Features

• Heating and cooling:

  • 18,000 BTU heat pump providing primary heating and cooling

  • Hybrid wood stove by Ecco Stoves, using masonry heater heat storage principles and meeting Washington standards for certified solid fuel appliances

  • Passive cooling tower (cupula) design maintains interior temperatures between 70–75°F, even during successive 100°F days, leveraging cooler nighttime temperatures

• Windows and materials:

  • Aluminum-cased, tempered windows and doors for high-heat protection

  • Interior window and door casings made from reclaimed Douglas Fir, salvaged by Lovett Deconstruction (Portland, OR)

• Efficient systems and appliances:

  • Electric on-demand, point-of-use water heaters

  • Induction range cooking

• Wildfire mitigation strategies:

  • Aluminum-cased, tempered windows and doors

  • No roof venting

  • 5/8" cementitious interlocking siding

  • Metal roofing

  • 30 feet of managed vegetation clearing around the structure

  • Steel skirting

  • Class A–rated decking

Construction and Innovation

SIP construction enabled rapid assembly of the building envelope while maintaining performance and quality. The ability to erect the structure quickly with a small crew reduced construction costs and demonstrated how SIPs can support community-driven building efforts without sacrificing durability or energy efficiency.

This approach aligns with the project’s values of simplicity, collaboration, and long-term resilience.

Challenges and Solutions

Designing a remote cabin that could remain comfortable during heat waves, resist wildfire threats, and be built efficiently by a small crew required a carefully chosen construction system. SIPs addressed these challenges by delivering a strong, airtight, and insulated envelope that supports both passive design strategies and efficient mechanical systems.

Key Features

• Custom personal cabin for family and friends

• Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) wall and roof construction

• Rapid envelope assembly completed over four weekends

• Passive cooling strategies paired with efficient mechanical systems

• Extensive wildfire mitigation measures

• Durable, low-maintenance materials