San Antonio Pioneer Cabin
Kumamoto, Japan
San Antonio, Texas & Kumamoto, Japan, 1994

In 1994, Dixie volunteered to produce architectural concepts for a "Texas cabin" for San Antonio's Sister City program with Kumamoto, Japan. He did extensive research in order to produce a product that would best represent the region's historic vernacular, including its German, Anglo and Hispanic influences. Details such as the species of woods used in the logs and roof, the technique of notching the logs, the style of stonework, and the proportions of additions were all thoroughly analyzed.

He worked closely with numerous Japanese experts for a week in Kumamoto, helping to choose the site at the city's Botanical Garden, to acquire materials and to detail the interface with the unique engineering problems of Japan. The cabin was then built by Hoppy Hopkins of Fredericksburg, Texas.

In 1997, as members of San Antonio's "Wings of Friendship Delegation," Dixie and his wife, Elaine, participated in numerous tours and events throughout Kumamoto. Dixie was featured on Japanese television describing his work on the Cabin. One of the great delights of this trip was a tour of a family "cabin-building" festival at Kumamoto's Botanical Garden.