Chapter 5

Leisure House

.Expansive, yet inexpensive, this highly functional cabin will serve as a ski hut, resort cabin or pool cabana; can be ordered precut.

By Kenneth R. MacDonald

Rear  view   of  this   version  of  the   Leisure   House shows interesting suspended deck off the bedroom.

A HAMMER, wrench and a ladder are the only tools required to erect this all-purpose cabin designed by Campbell & Wong, nationally known San Francisco team of young and imaginative architects.

Their functional vacation type house is suitable for residents of a metropolitan city within driving distance of the mountains; the seaside or just pleasantly suburban areas of relaxation.

It is also a ski hut, a play house, a garden shelter, a pool cabana, resort cabin or even a motel or rental unit . . . whatever you may have in mind as you take up hammer and wrench and climb the ladder.

Roomy, attractive living room measures 12x17 ft., boosts of a 16-ft. high ceiling at peak. Wide door provides ventilation. Glass walls and side windows create unusually high degree of indoor-outdoor effect. The SI50   for  glass  is   well  spent.

Pre-fabricated for commercial sale in the Northern California area by the Mattock Construction Company, Leisure House is a basic structural unit which makes a shelter 18 feet wide and 20 feet from rear wall to front porch or 30x18 ft. in the larger unit. It costs $1,150.00 f.o.b. San Francisco and the purchaser in Northern California may haul the package away or have it freighted to his lot.

In this scientifically designed do-it-yourself structure, the beams are all pre-cut, the buyer simply fastens them together with bolts which are included in the pack­age (the bolt holes are already drilled). Battens to hold down panels are included.

Two people can erect the cabin in a week. It was engineered to stand up under ex­treme winds and snow loads and is built around a series of 11 triangular trusses which eliminate the problems of stud walls and cross bracing.

John Campbell, member of the archi­tectural firm with Worley K. Wong, built his Leisure House in Mill Valley, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Fran­cisco, on a concrete foundation which grips the wooded slope of the mountain.

A large deck spreads under trees in front of the Campbell version. The house has two extra four foot units in the rear to form a bedroom at an extra cost of less than $500 (two extra four foot units at $115 plus  additional   form  work  and  wiring).

Spacious, modem living at us peak, me Iruni-un Tlew displays the great amount of usable  area   in  this   design. The slanted walls seem to add rather than detract from the beauty of this unusual plan. Note pillows for seats.

The version that Campbell built could easily be duplicated on a level lot for $3,000 or less. It cost him slightly more than $5,000 due to the steepness of the lot and windows cut into the side of the unit as well as extra plumbing, sewer connections and continu­ous footing.

The $1,150.00 unit with its floor-to-ceil-ing peak of 16 feet comes packaged with all lumber, including 3/4-in. flooring, beams, joists, waterproof marine plywood panels and wood framing ready for the glass.

Bolts are included, but not the nails, hardware, paint, plumbing or electrical equipment. The package includes doors for the front, rear and the bath. The unit weighs 5.600 pounds and once the basic foundation  is in  two  persons  can  easily handle the construction with no special strength or talent as carpenters.
Minimum costs estimated are: $600 for plumbing. $100 for lighting, $120 for paint­ing and $150 for glass.

The basic unit includes living-dining-sleeping area, kitchen, bathroom and closet. The partitions do not support weight and can be moved to suit the needs of the ama­teur builder. The house can be insulated inside or out against extreme heat or cold with Rock Wool, Fiberglas, or Celotex.

The interior triangles are panels of Oregon Fir, the exterior panels are of marine plywood secured by heavy 2x3-in. pine battens. Floors are 3/4-in. plywood, 2x6-in. porch flooring is nailed to 2x6-in. floor joists.

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