Location: East Texas
Completed: 1999
Design Team: Gary Furman, Patrick Alexander
Contractor: Blue Heron Construction

Cooks Branch is a 5600 acre, family owned nature conservancy in the Piney Woods of East Texas. We were asked to make an addition to the existing lodge which is used for company retreats and large family gatherings. The lodge is sited on a knoll, overlooking a large pond with sleeping quarters connected by a breezeway. We added a large kitchen building to the West of the main lodge and a porch that wraps both structures. The kitchen is a tall open space with two exposed trusses supporting the hipped roof and the vaulted ceiling. A butler's pantry forms a vestibule, connecting the kitchen to the main lodge. From the vestibule, french doors lead out to the porch. The pine log columns were harvested on site.

Recognition:
AIA Austin, Design Award, 2002
Home Magazine, "Home Fires", December 2000