Architectural stays always add an extra oomph to the holiday experience; and sometimes, the more unusual the place, the better. Here, we explore a series of new design-led offerings that cater to the architecturally minded visitor. From tiny contemporary cabins, to robust bunkers and compact minimalist architecture; this is our selection of buildings that allow immersion in nature in slightly less ordinary surroundings.
The finest architectural stays in unexpected retreats
The Natural Shelter
Go completely off grid with this tiny cabin, courtesy of bedding and mattress company Naturalmat and Devon-based cabin makers, Out of the Valley. The miniature space, with space for just a bed (naturally, with a Naturalmat mattress) and a bedside table and lamp, can be installed at any field, garden or estate for overnight stays in nature. The structure, made of organic wood, is a sustainable low-impact dwelling shaped in the archetypal outline of a home - ready to buy for urban escapes or full countryside immersion.
Forest Bunker
A subterranean WW2 bunker in Dorset that has been turned into a holiday home by architects Corstorphine & Wright. The structure - barely visible from within its leafy context, save for its concrete entrance opening - offers literal immersion into the field's mature green. Inside, a simple, exposed concrete space makes for a spartan, minimalist interior that leads the gaze towards the rich countryside outside and encourages a simple life.
Mirrored Cube
Now you see it; now you don't. This unusual retreat comes in the shape of a mirrored cabin which, reflecting its green surrounds, almost disappears into the background. The project offers extraordinary architectural stays nestled in the iconic Chaîne des Puys, Limange fault - a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. A simple interior provides accommodation for up to four people. This escape was orchestrated by Volvic natural mineral water as part of a competition to win a stay in the site's volcanic landscape this September.
Hide Cabin
This small contemporary cabin, made entirely of timber elements, was designed to serve as a small architectural space that can sit lightly in its natural surroundings. While overnight stays might not be the thinking here, it's the perfect mini pavilion - a rest stop, bird watching cabin or picnic love seat. The structure, designed by Cambridge based Inclume Architects, is currently installed within lowland pine forest on the East Coast of England.
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Chrome tableware to make your dining setup shineOnce a hallmark of industrial and midcentury design, chrome is shining once again. The latest expression? Metallic dinner-, drink- and serveware that embody sophistication
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Serenity radiates through this Mexican home, set between two ravinesOn the cusp of a lakeside town, Mexican home Casa el Espino is a single-storey residence by Soler Orozco Arquitectos (SOA)
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The Orient Express' new look platforms the finest French artisansMaxime d’Angeac, Artistic Director of the Orient Express, is overseeing the newly revived train service’s return to the rails as a rolling homage to Art Deco and modern craftsmanship
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Cosy-up in a snowy Canadian cabin inspired by utilitarian farmhousesInspired by local farmhouses, Canadian cabin Timbertop is a minimalist shelter overlooking the woodland home of wild deer, porcupines and turkeys
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The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthWallpaper* has spotlighted an array of remarkable architecture in the past month – from a pink desert home to structures that appears to float above the ground. These are the houses and buildings that most captured our attention in August 2025
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This contemporary cabin cantilevers over a Scottish lochRock Cove, Cameron Webster Architects’ contemporary cabin in Argyll, Scotland, makes the most of its wild setting
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The dream of the flat-pack home continues with this elegant modular cabin design from KotoThe Niwa modular cabin series by UK-based Koto architects offers a range of elegant retreats, designed for easy installation and a variety of uses
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Tour this Estonian tiny home with big ambitionsÖÖD Golden House, a new Estonian cabin concept, promises to offer a compact design for small and perfectly formed escapes
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The heat is on: mobile sauna heralds a new breed of experimental hot boxesEmma O’Kelly explores the emerging world of mobile sauna design in Germany, Norway and the UK, where new design approaches are taking this ancient practice into the modern era
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MOCA is a self-sufficient mobile home offering freedom to work (and roam)MOCA (Mobile Catalyst) is a sustainable mobile home designed by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, and taking remote working to a new level
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A nest house in the Netherlands immerses residents in natureBuitenverblijf Nest house by i29 offers a bird-inspired forest folly for romantic woodland escapes in the Netherlands
