Colorado Outward Bound Micro Cabins

Over 100 years after prefabricated homes were introduced in the Sears catalogue, builders, architects, and students alike are still finding new and exciting ways to use this method of quickly erecting structures of all shapes and sizes. The University of Colorado Denver, for instance, has caught the eyes of everyone from casual architecture enthusiasts to the American Institute of Architects with their Outward Bound Micro Cabins.

Using the combined efforts of both the faculty and students of the College of Architecture and Planning, the Colorado Building Workshop designed, fabricated, and built cabins for the Colorado chapter of the Outward Bound Outdoor School. In order to build out these structures quickly (the team only had three weeks once on site), they constructed a frame on site, and had to bring in the cabins – which were built off-site.

Not only are these dwellings technically impressive, but they’re striking in their design. The hot-rolled steel structures are not only waterproof, but they blend into the natural landscape. The untreated and wild steel look doesn’t find its way inside, however. Once the team got the frame built and the prefab cabin under the snow-roof, they went about adorning the interior with CNC’d birch which was prepped off-site. The result is a warm and inviting feel that offers beautiful views of mountains off in the distance and the surrounding Mosquito Range. Currently, the program is working on erecting their second set of micro cabins at the COBS Leadville Campus.