Hudson Woods Brings ‘Eco Cabin’ Community To Rural New York

Cooled by the Earth, warmed by the sun, forward-thinking designs set this fledgling rustic neighborhood apart.

Sustainable designs, local building materials, and a menu of customizations: This “cabin community” is not your typical housing development.

The Hudson Woods development in Upstate New York aims to combine country-home comfort with eco-friendly tiny-home design principles. The result is a 26-unit community of cabin-style homes that provide scenic, rural living.

The two- and three-bedroom lodge-style homes start at $600,000 and run over $1.2 million. But, because of Hudson Woods’ semi-customization model, the cabins are actually more affordable than one-off, custom homes in the same region. The development could mark the beginning of cabin communities that focus on sustainable and locally sourced building practices.

Hudson Woods Cabin Homes

The Hudson Woods model fuses mass-production price savings with customizability. Each cabin has a standard 2,800-foot floorplan. That includes a two-level, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with garage and car port.

But the homes offer a number of upgrades to give buyers a custom feel from neighbors’ homes. This could be anything from a kitchen island and oak cabinetry, to an outdoor pool, guest house, solar energy system, copper roofing, and more. There are 26 upgrade options to choose from.

According to Lang Architecture, the development’s design firm, the homes draw from Scandinavian and mid-century models using stick-frame construction. The units sit on 131 acres in Kerhonkson, N.Y., and each dwelling comes with between 2.7 and 10-plus acres.

The development sits about 25 minutes outside of any town. Hudson Woods has special appeal for hikers, skiers, mountain bikers, and rock climbers thanks to its proximity to the Catskill and Shawangunk Mountains. Ali Carr Troxell, a local familiar with the area, told us it’s an up-and-coming destination.

“It’s gorgeous and unique and representative of popular design trends in the area,” she said. “It’s already being billed as the next place to buy your second home for affordability but within the defining ‘two-hour mark’ to NYC.”

Only three lots remain for sale, but one property is a model home that launched on Airbnb this month for would-be buyers to try out.

Eco-Friendly Luxury Cabins

In addition to the creature comforts, Hudson Woods cabins use forward-thinking designs to mitigate the environmental impact. Where possible, cabins are built into hillsides to capture natural thermal insulation.

Homes also face the sun, maximizing passive solar heating. And builders source sustainable (and local when possible) materials and work with local contractors when necessary. They find boulders for retaining walls and white oak for interior walls locally. And the Forest Stewardship Council inspects and certifies all lumber.

The result is a home that’s designed to provide luxury without waste.

Should you run out and buy one? Well, for $745 per night, you could try it before you buy it. The model unit will be available for rent on Airbnb in April. Check the Hudson Woods site for updates.

Tiny homes have not revolutionized home-building just yet. But the eco-friendly building movement continues to build steam, and we love seeing innovations that reduce our impact on the environment. Hudson Homes offers a not-so-tiny alternative.