A Communal Gathering Place with Surrounding Lodging

In September of 2008 I went to Monteray California on a work related trip. I was living in a hotel room for two weeks so inevitably there arose the need for a visit to the laundromat. As typical of the laundering process I had some wash and dry cycle time to burn. There were some donations of outdated reading material and I picked up the August 2007 issue of Sunset Magazine featuring an article about Sunset's Summer Retreat Home.
In essence it was a “cabin” conceptually pulled apart and built on a 2500-square-foot deck. At the center, a modest-sized core structure containing a kitchen and bathroom. Instead of attached bedrooms, there were separate tent cabins (made by a company called Sweetwater Bungalows) that were placed around the edge of the deck.

(Click picture for video)

It seems that so often live/work housing means multi-unit apartments and converted industrial buildings. I've never liked how this often denies occupants of basic "homey" amenities such as a garden, yard or the privacy of no shared walls. What I like so much about the Summer Retreat Home is that it facilitates communal activities while at the same time giving everybody there own private refuge.