Truckee · Sierra Nevada · Est. 2026

A sanctuary for dogs and the people who love them.

Prefab sustainable architecture nestled against the mountainside — where alpine stillness meets refined living, and every creature finds a quiet place to breathe.

40°N · 120°W 5,817 ft elevation
Tahoe National Forest
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01 · The Vision

Sanctuary is a place where nothing needs to be rushed.

We built the Dog Sanctuary for the same reason humans visit Aman or Amangiri — to step out of ordinary time. Here the forest floor is the lobby, the mountain is the silence, and our four-legged guests set the pace.

Every element of this retreat — from the 304 stainless steel frame to the MgO board cladding, from the radiant heated floors to the floor-to-ceiling glass — was specified with two priorities in equal measure: the wellbeing of animals and a lifetime of low-impact living.

This is prefab architecture elevated to the level of craft. A kit-of-parts sensibility in the service of something unhurried. A place worth coming home to.

1,600
Square Feet
Main Level
Two-storey structure on 5 acres of private forest
40'
x 40 ft
Modular Grid
Built on an 8-ft module system for precision and flexibility
4:12
Roof Pitch
Snow-Rated
Engineered for 180 psf Sierra snow load
03 · The Plan

Eight-foot modular geometry. Every wall deliberate.

storage 8 × 16 ft office 16 × 16 ft stairs ↑ · 16 × 4 ft reception 16 × 28 ft 448 sf · 41.62 m² living room 16 × 8 ft changing room 8 × 8 shower + toilet 8 × 8 Kitchen open plan · L-shape 576 sf · 53.51 m² hallway 8 × 16 ft 8 ft 8 ft 8 ft 8 ft 8 ft N — 40 ft / 12.19 m 888 88 E — 40 ft 8 ft 8 ft 8 ft 8 ft 8 ft S — 40 ft / 12.19 m 88 88 8 W — 40 ft

Ground Level schedule

An L-shaped open plan organizes daily life around the kitchen and living room, with the reception pavilion extending south to meet arriving guests. Bath and changing are discreetly stacked along the west wall.

Footprint
1,600sf
Metric
148.6m²
Module
8ft grid
Rooms
9zones
RoomFtArea
Storage8 × 16128 sf
Office16 × 16256 sf
Stairs16 × 464 sf
Reception16 × 28448 sf
Living Room16 × 8128 sf
Changing8 × 864 sf
Shower + WC8 × 864 sf
KitchenL-shape576 sf
Hallway8 × 16128 sf
Total40 × 401,600 sf
04 · The Pavilions

Geometry as sanctuary. Fifty-six feet across, thirty-five feet tall.

The twin pyramid pavilions are the soul of the property — a meditation hall and a four-season greenhouse that share the same crystalline geometry. Built from space-frame stainless tetrahedra, the structures hold themselves up through pure triangulation. No interior columns. No compromises on light.

56-foot pyramid structural drawing showing space-frame geometry with human and dog scale reference at base, 35-foot peak height
Structural Study · to scale
56'ft base 35'ft peak 1,568sf footprint ~21,000ft³ volume
i.

Meditation hall

Low cushions arranged in concentric rings. Morning light falls through the eastern glazing as through a cathedral. A space tuned for quiet company.

ii.

Four-season greenhouse

A small mezzanine divides the pavilion — tender herbs and citrus on the upper terrace, cold-hardy perennials below. Thermal mass in the stone floor holds the day's warmth deep into the night.

05 · The Craft

Built to disappear into the landscape.

i.

304 Stainless Frame

Marine-grade structural steel engineered for Sierra winters. Ships flat, assembles with precision joinery — designed to last five generations without maintenance.

ii.

Pyramid Pavilions

Two geometric structures serve as meditation hall and year-round greenhouse. Triangulated glazing captures low mountain light and holds thermal mass through long nights.

iii.

Hydronic Radiant Floors

Warmth rises from the ground, keeping paws comfortable on cold tile. Powered by an air-source heat pump paired with a 12 kW rooftop PV array.

iv.

MgO Board Cladding

Magnesium oxysulfate panels — non-combustible, mold-resistant, permeable. A healthier alternative to conventional sheathing, kinder to animals and the soil around them.

v.

Floor-to-Ceiling Glass

Triple-pane insulated glazing opens the great room to the forest. Passive solar in winter, cross-ventilated in summer — animals and humans alike stay connected to weather.

vi.

Rooftop Terrace & Garage

A cedar-decked rooftop crowns the three-bay garage — outdoor kitchen, soaking hot tub, and lounge seating with glass balustrades framing the forest. The building works twice as hard.

06 · The Record

Specifications for the curious.

Footprint
40 × 40 ft · 12.19 × 12.19 m · 1,600 sf total
Modular Grid
8 ft module · 5 × 5 arrangement · 2.44 m each
Structure
304 stainless steel frame · welded and bolted connections
Cladding
MgO board (magnesium oxysulfate) · exterior panel system
Glazing
Triple-pane insulated · floor-to-ceiling on south and east elevations
Roof Pitch
4:12 · standing seam metal · 180 psf snow load rating
Heating
Hydronic radiant floors · air-source heat pump · PV-assisted
Power
12 kW solar array · 40 kWh battery bank · grid-tied, off-grid capable
Water
Rainwater capture · greywater reclamation · on-site well
Auxiliary
Two pyramid pavilions · meditation + greenhouse · triangulated glass
Site
5 acres · Truckee, CA · 5,817 ft elevation · Tahoe National Forest
Delivery
Prefab from Zhongshan, CN · sea freight to Oakland · 14-day on-site assembly

Come up the mountain. Bring the dog.

Private tours are available by appointment from June through October. Reservations for overnight residency open quarterly.

Request a visit