Middleton, Tennessee, USA

Lone Oaks Farm, encompassing 1,200 acres of scenic West Tennessee, is a unique blend of hospitality, agriculture, and youth education.

The Sunset Cabins, the first cluster of master-planned cabins at the Farm, jumpstarted its youth education program.

These cabins reimagine the traditional camp experience with an emphasis on inclusivity, sustainability, and a deep appreciation for the surrounding landscape.

Lone Oaks Farm Sunset Cabins by El Dorado, won an American Architecture Award 2025 from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.

Each bunkhouse accommodates 16 campers and two counselors and features an overlook deck, a flexible common room, a kitchenette, an accessible restroom, and a unique flex bedroom.

This flex bedroom is central to the design’s commitment to inclusivity. It accommodates campers with special needs and their guardians, ensuring everyone can participate in this enriching experience.

Expansive porches and covered outdoor gathering spaces blur the lines between indoors and outdoors, creating ample areas to support outdoor learning and recreation.

The cabins are clad in durable corrugated metal panels and locally sourced tongue-and-groove cypress, accented with vibrant colors to aid in wayfinding and foster a sense of cohort identity.

Anchored to the hillside, each cabin extends outward, culminating in a porch with expansive views.

The Sunset Cabins at Lone Oaks Farm exemplify how thoughtful design can create a welcoming and inspiring environment where young people can learn, grow, and connect with nature.

Project: Lone Oaks Farm Sunset Cabins
Architects: El Dorado
Design Team: David Dowell, Sean Slattery, John Renner, and Brock Traffas
General Contractor: E&T Contracting Services, Inc.
Client: Lone Oaks Farm, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
Photographers: Timothy Hursley