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ROto Architects

Dorland Mountain Arts Colony

The Dorland Mountain Arts Colony, established in 1979, is set on a 300-acre Nature Conservancy preserve overlooking the Temecula Valley, California. The colony and its buildings cover about ten acres - the rest of the land has been left in its natural state. A central live oak grove, two spring-fed ponds, and a wide variety of plant, bird and animal life are among the lands features.

In 1992, an accidental fire resulted in the burning of the Lake Cottage. RoTo donated design-build services to replace the 1000 square foot cabin with a budget of $ 30,000.

Writers, composers and visual artists come to Dorland Mountain Arts Colony for retreat, reflection and work. It is a time of solitude and transition, an in-between place.

There was an interest in the way that indigenous structures, formed unique volumes as a result of constraint of time and materials. Rather than merely creating an organizational and spatial diagram and then detailing to develop that diagram, possible alternative construction techniques were considered that might shape the volume and configure the form.

A system of lodge poles and tri-pod like lashed connections was used instead of plywood-braced post and beam construction so as to explore the dynamic nature of the system, its structural stability and its material efficiency.

A limited budget and construction skills suggested that the project consist of standard local materials arranged into simple elements which could be understood by anyone as easy-to-assemble building parts.

In the absence of electricity, a simple, self-contained solar power system provides light and power. The small storage capacity of the system encourages residents to plan their use of electricity, considering it as a limited resource. The people staying here reconnect with natural systems and circadian cycles not so evident in urban environments. The cabin has two modes that respond to its Savannah environment - one, open, light-gathering and breeze-capturing, and the other, a shuttered insulating mode which respond to the cool, high-desert nights. The use of screen and shutter system, instead of large glass surfaces, has both cost and comfort benefits.

The only heating element, the wood burning stove, is placed close to the spaces which are used in the evening an early morning. These spaces benefit from solar heat radiated from massive stone and concrete walls in the sleeping area. Daytime light is enhanced by a wide strip of polyester fabric that runs the length of the cabin. The fabric is inexpensive, yet provides substantial heat reflectance while allowing natural light into the rooms. Shaded exterior areas expand the interior studio space, and open towards views of the Temecula Valley through the canopy of live oaks.