Yūgen.

Yūgen Cabins is about building spaces with core principles of health, efficiency, sustainability, a strong connection to the surroundings.

“Yūgen” (y-uu-gain) is a Japanese term which describes “mysterious profundity.” It is an awareness that sparks a deep emotional connection to your surroundings in a way that can’t be described. It is beauty that you feel, that lingers in the memory. Imagination is essential and so is participation. No moment is perfect or permanent. Yugen Cabins also incorporates the ideals of “wabi sabi” and appreciating imperfection, nature being the prime example. It is something to be admired, appreciated, and experienced.

Yūgen Cabins is about curating a space which can allow the experience of Yugen and incorporates unique characteristics of building off-grid.

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MEANING

Story.

My name is Sam Hunt, I am a Licensed practicing Architect with experience in residential, commercial, civic, educational, and off-grid architecture. I have always dreamed of owning a private cabin property since I was a young lad. My friends and I built several tree houses around the neighborhood when I was young. I grew up working in construction always knowing I was going to be an Architect. However, by the time my third child came along, I realized that each experience with my kids was finite. There were only so many more times my kids would come sit at my desk and draw with me while working, only so many times I could pick up my kids and just hold them in a tight hug for no reason. One of the main reasons that I wanted a cabin is to have a safe, comfortable, private oasis away from busy life to enjoy with my family. I didn’t want that dream to sit on the back burner anymore. If I was going to share this with my family, I needed to make it happen.

I found a small piece of land on a hill with excellent views for a good price and snatched it up with some savings and owner financing. I decided I was going to prove to myself that this dream could become a reality without much investment. I designed the cabin to our specific needs, the site, and future plans and started gathering materials by trading my labor. I would find an old building that was being demolished in the area and came to an agreement with the owner that I would help demolish the building and keep any materials. With a few weekends and a solid week up at my property, I built the B.ende cabin (in the shop) by myself (and a few little kid hammers). It was all built by one person for under $5,000 in costs. 80% of the building materials were salvaged and reused. With a figure-it-out attitude, I was able to start cataloging those memories of my family together at the cabin while my kids were still young enough.

I enjoyed the process so much and felt so liberated and connected to this piece of property that we call our own. I started designing cabins on the side and wanted to help other people move their “someday” to “just do it” and here we are…