YAVAPAI CABIN

Location

Walker, Arizona

Size

1,450 SF

Timeframe

2020 – 2026

Structural Engineer

Swenson Say Faget (SSF)

Geotechnical Engineer

Material Testing & Inspections (MTI)

Designed for a family member on a remote, forested parcel in Yavapai County, the Yavapai Cabin is a compact, single-story residence of approximately 1,100 square feet, carefully embedded into a steep, south-facing slope within an Arizona conifer forest. The site, perched at roughly 6,700 feet in elevation, required a precise balance between minimal disturbance, constructability, and long-term durability in a rugged environment.

Upward Architecture explored multiple massing and roof strategies during schematic design, ultimately developing a plan organized around a central kitchen and living space, flanked by two sleeping suites to either side. A simple, single-slope shed roof spans the full length of the building, rising toward the primary view corridor and admitting soft, filtered daylight deep into the interior.

Outdoor living is integral to the plan; a front deck runs along the downhill façade, extending the living space into the forest canopy and minimizing additional site disturbance. The structure is supported on discrete foundations stepped with the terrain, reducing grading and preserving existing trees.