A bijou forest retreat, this Blakely Island cabin offers tree living

Designed by architects Wittman Estes on an island in Washington state, this guest cabin invites residents to immerse themselves in the forest canopy

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Blakely Island Cabin, a boxy structure raised on stilts above tree canopy in washington state forest
(Image credit: Andrew Pogue)

A Blakely Island cabin was designed for immersive forest living among the mature trees of the San Juan Islands archipelago on the Salish Sea. This corner of Washington state is rich in nature, with the particular site nestled between a glacial erratic rock and Douglas fir trees. Within this leafy setting, Wittman Estes has designed a private retreat drawing on the most basic of architectural escapes, in the tradition of Thoreau’s Walden Cabin and Le Corbusier’s 1952 Cabanon.

Blakely Island Cabin, a boxy structure raised on stilts above tree canopy in washington state forest

(Image credit: Andrew Pogue)

Tour this Blakely Island cabin in Washington state

Led by architect Matt Wittman and landscape designer Jody Estes, the Seattle-based architecture practice was well placed to tackle the challenge of this commission, a tiny 400 sq ft guest house deep in the woods and offering sweeping views of foliage and water. The raised volume sits on stilts to minimise disturbance to its natural site.

Blakely Island Cabin, a boxy structure raised on stilts above tree canopy in washington state forest

(Image credit: Andrew Pogue)

Blakely Island Cabin, a boxy structure raised on stilts above tree canopy in washington state forest

(Image credit: Andrew Pogue)

The bijou structure measures a mere 16ft x 20ft. The boxy volume contains a small kitchen, one Murphy bed, one bath, and an open loft area with two bunk beds. The interior is a simple and flowing single space, guiding the eye outwards towards the magnificent vistas.

Blakely Island Cabin, a boxy structure raised on stilts above tree canopy in washington state forest

(Image credit: Andrew Pogue)

Blakely Island Cabin, a boxy structure raised on stilts above tree canopy in washington state forest

(Image credit: Andrew Pogue)

Made primarily out of timber inside and out (a Western red cedar main body is accessed by a suspended metal walkway), the interiors feel cosy and warm. Between the hardwood decking that continues the forest's material palette indoors and the large glazed openings (including a generous corner-bathroom window), there's synergy between indoors and outdoors.

Blakely Island Cabin, a boxy structure raised on stilts above tree canopy in washington state forest

(Image credit: Andrew Pogue)

The Blakely Island cabin was constructed using modular elements and off-site fabrication. The entire house was prefabricated at the contractor’s yard in Everett before being moved, in parts, and reassembled on-site.

Blakely Island Cabin, a boxy structure raised on stilts above tree canopy in washington state forest

(Image credit: Andrew Pogue)

'Local materials and small spaces distil living down to a simple essence; in the words of Thoreau, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life",' the architects explain.

Blakely Island Cabin, a boxy structure raised on stilts above tree canopy in washington state forest

(Image credit: Andrew Pogue)

wittman-estes.com

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Ellie Stathaki
Ellie Stathaki

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).