ColoradoBuildingWorkshop Returns to Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions to Transform Its Historic Vonnegut Cabin Loop
As the University of Colorado prepares to celebrate 100 years of built environment education in Colorado, Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions is also celebrating 100 years of connecting communities to the outdoors. In perfect alignment with these two milestones, the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop completed the design, fabrication, and build of six new cabins and repurposing of four historic cabins at Cottonwood Gulch Basecamp this summer.
Honoring the Past and Preserving the Spirit of the Cottonwood Gulch Cabins
The ColoradoBuildingWorkshop is contributing to the next chapter of Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions through the transformation of its historic Vonnegut Cabin Loop in Thoreau, New Mexico. Through adaptive reuse, sustainable materials, and careful intervention, the student-led design-build project reimagines these historic cabins balancing comfort, safety, and contemporary needs while preserving the spirit of Cottonwood Gulch for future generations.
The original cabins were constructed by Cottonwood Gulch with the help of the Henio family, a Navajo family who were instrumental in the masonry fireplaces and flagstone floors. The adaptive reuse project paid particular attention to preserve these elements as reminder of the labor, culture, and stories of the site.
“Learning about the history of the original Vonnegut Cabins was incredibly inspiring,” said Master of Architecture student Myah AnDyke. “The Henio family’s craftsmanship in the stonework, and the importance of honoring that history became a central part of how we approached the project.”
“As someone who hopes to pursue adaptive reuse and historic preservation in the future, it was a validating experience that reinforced why preserving historic places matters,” continued AnDyke. “One design decision I was especially excited about that my cabin group decided on was creating one continuous roof over both the existing and new cabins, allowing the past and future to exist seamlessly under a single structure. It became a powerful architectural expression of preservation while creating something new.”
Returning to the Cottonwood Gulch Cabins
For those who have followed the ever-impressive work of the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop, led by Associate Professor and ColoradoBuildingWorkshop Director Rick Sommerfeld and Bixler Design Build Fellow Will Koning, the Cottonwood Gulch Cabins may sound familiar. In 2019, CU Denver’s design build certificate program completed six new bunkhouses and an outdoor kitchen for the Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions Basecamp. Their work went on to win the 2019 Western Mountain Region Honorable Mention Award and a 2021 International Wood Design and Building Award of Merit.
The six historic Vonnegut Cabins, built over 80 years ago, presented the program with yet another opportunity to work in the breathtaking setting of the Ponderosa pine forest surrounded by open meadows, the perfect landing place for trekking across the Southwest. The Vonnegut Cabins are a defining feature of the camp, linking generations of trekkers to Cottonwood Gulch’s legacy. So it was imperative to the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop team to preserve elements from the original cabins, use repurposed and sustainable materials, and honor the history and landscape of the site.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of the project was experiencing the full process of documenting existing materials from the original Vonnegut Cabins and transforming them into usable components for the new cabins,” said Master of Architecture student Catherine (Cady) Messerli. “During the first week on site, I helped catalog the condition and imperfections of the existing wood siding, carefully documenting them in a spreadsheet. By the final week of construction, that same siding was thoughtfully pieced together like a puzzle to create a singled façade that celebrated the character and history of the material rather than hiding its imperfections. This process gave me a deeper appreciation for the value of reclaimed materials and demonstrated how their unique qualities can become strengths when used in a new context.”
The ColoradoBuildingWorkshop Student Experience
Students in the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop design-build certificate program spend a semester designing their project through iterations and presentations and then fabricate their project on campus at CU Denver. After students fabricate the project on campus, they transfer it to the site, where they complete the final build during the May semester. Students form teams to focus on specific aspects of the build—roofing, cladding, interiors, foundations, and client communications.
“As one of the student designers on the Vonnegut Cabins project, I was part of both the foundations team and the client communication team,” shared AnDyke. “Working on the foundations gave me hands-on experience with the construction process, while being part of the client communication team taught me the importance of listening, collaboration, and making sure the design reflected the client’s vision. Being involved in both the technical and relationship-building aspects of the project gave me a well-rounded understanding of what it takes to bring a design from concept to reality.”
Immersive learning is a hallmark of the College of Architecture and Planning at CU Denver, and the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop sets a perfect example. Students gain hands-on design, fabrication, and building experience. Beyond that, students also work directly with the project partners, organizations, and communities impacted by the work.
“My role in the project included serving on both the CLT [cross-laminated timber] and client communications teams,” said Messerli. “As a member of the CLT team, I helped develop an efficient panel layout for my cabin, coordinated communication between the material fabricator and our cabin teams, and helped lead the on-site assembly process to maximize both quality and safety during construction. As part of the client communications team, I contributed to the coordination and preparation of presentations for client meetings and assisted with post-project drawing documentation to support award submissions.”
“My experience in the Design-Build program with ColoradoBuildingWorkshop has been the most rewarding part of my architectural education so far,” Messerli continued. “It gave me a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to bring a project of this scale from concept to completion and showed me the level of coordination, craftsmanship, and attention to detail required at every stage.”
Curious to see more projects by the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop? This October, the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop will be exhibiting models from the last 20 years of the program. We also encourage you to visit us online to learn more about the variety of projects completed by the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop over the years.