This Norwegian cabin nods to the country's strong tradition of craftsmanship, as well as its wider history – and in particular, its Viking roots. The woodworking and boat-making skills of those seafaring warriors were ahead of their time, their pioneering longboats a true testament to grit and ingenuity. This felt like a natural starting point for architect Reinhard Kropf, co-founder of architecture studio Helen & Hard, as he worked on Cabin Sande, a new home set within the wild, shifting Norwegian landscape.

Tour this Norwegian cabin, a coastal refuge

He explains, ‘A point of inspiration came from the Norwegian boat-building tradition dating back to the Viking era. Traditional timber boats often used the natural connection between tree trunks and roots to strengthen structural frames in their boats. In our project, we applied the same principle by using whole tree trunks together with their roots to reinforce the column-beam connection and structure. This approach creates an organic interior atmosphere as well as the undulating shape of the roof.’

Cabin Sande is deeply connected to the rocky landscape in Randaberg, southern Norway, a site of outstanding natural beauty. With the ocean extending across the horizon, panoramic windows frame the vista of sea and sky, while the roof reflects the shape of the surrounding natural topography. Meanwhile, the home's base is made from locally sourced stone.

The 112 sq m cabin was designed to echo the feeling of being immersed in the shelter of a canopy of trees. The space is divided across two aisles, as Kropf tells Wallpaper*: ‘On each side of this funnel-like central space are two aisles: one containing the kitchen and the other two working rooms. One of the workspaces is positioned half a level above the living room, with the bathroom located underneath. This arrangement allows visitors to experience the cabin as a continuous whole while simultaneously creating spatial depth, variation, and a rich sequence of experiences.’

The architects’ trunk-to-root use of whole trees goes beyond the purely structural, and it’s one of Kropf’s favourite elements of the project. ‘These structural elements do much more than support the building – they also integrate furniture and architectural functions such as shelves, sofas, benches, the kitchen, the fireplace, stairs, room dividers, windows, and doors.

‘As a result, the structure invites people to interact with it, explore it, and engage physically with the space. It creates the feeling that every element of the cabin is interconnected and woven together into one holistic architectural experience.’

The façade's glazing wraps around the cabin. This allows the daylight to funnel through its bones and into the living spaces, creating different light and shadow compositions across the changing seasons. Other sensory elements, such as the rich scent and tactility of the timber, and the sounds of the sea and the wind beyond its cocooning confines, become an active part of the architectural experience. Just like its location, Cabin Sande is ever-changing.

helenhard.no

If there’s one thing that Wallpaper* does well, it’s houses – spotlighting architecturally arresting gems from around the globe and spanning the spectrum of modern design. Our inboxes are overflowing with news of the world’s most boundary-pushing architectural projects, and we strive to bring you the very best.

To ensure you don’t miss a thing – and to showcase the scope of residential architecture today – we’ve launched a monthly series: The Architecture Edit. Each instalment will highlight our favourite houses of the month: buildings that demonstrate creative planning, innovative methods and, of course, aesthetic excellence.

A Californian community

Set within California’s Sea Ranch community, The House of Four Ecologies is a coastal retreat designed by a group of architect friends. Led by James Leng alongside Natasha Sadikin, Juney Lee and Hoang Nguyen, the 1,600 sq ft home is conceived as four distinct volumes nestled into a riparian corridor of firs, grasses and shrubs. Each space is oriented to a different ecological condition, creating varied relationships to ocean, garden, meadow and forest. Inside, rooms unfold as experiential moments: the Ocean Room frames the Pacific through a single large window; the Garden Room blurs interior and exterior with sliding walls and a courtyard; the kitchen and dining area forms the social heart; and an ensuite studio overlooks the meadow beyond.

A sunken garden home

Designed by architect couple Deborah Saunt and David Hills of DSDHA, Covert House is a discreet yet radical response to London’s housing constraints. Tucked behind Clapham Old Town’s historic terraces, the house is invisible from the street, sinking partly below ground. Built on a speculative backland site, the project became both a family home and a testing ground for the architects’ broader ideas about urban living. Cast concrete defines the structure, alternating between raw and refined finishes, while large skylights and glazed façades flood the interior with daylight. The inverted layout places living spaces above and bedrooms below,. Reading a bit like a pavilion set within greenery, the house demonstrates how dense cities can accommodate inventive, sustainable architecture.

A Tbilisi apartment

In a historic art nouveau building in Tbilisi’s Sololaki district, designers Nino Nozadze and Eka Papamichail have reimagined an apartment for Georgian chef Tekuna Gachechiladze. Original parquet floors, tall ceilings and double doors preserve the building’s character, while new material interventions introduce warmth and clarity. Walnut furniture, plastered walls and a sculptural coffered ceiling shape the living spaces, anchored by a long dining table. The kitchen combines professional stainless-steel surfaces with generous daylight and garden views, functioning as both workspace and social hub. Throughout the apartment, muted ochres, greens and turquoise accents act as subtle architectural gestures, while bathrooms introduce marble and travertine tones.

A Canadian ranch

Daisy Ranch, designed by Olson Kundig for builder and fabricator Patrick Powers, is a home rooted in adventure, craft and landscape. Set on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, the cabin-like residence responds to its rugged surroundings with durable materials and a straightforward architectural framework. Inspired partly by the brick farmhouse Powers grew up in, the house features expansive windows that forge a strong connection to nature. The interior acts as a living archive of family history, filled with found objects and personal artefacts, including a canoe suspended from the ceiling. Designed to withstand the energy of family life, Daisy Ranch is a robust home that celebrates making and memory.

A Richard Neutra landmark

Richard Neutra’s 1960 Sale House in Los Angeles was listed for sale this month, offering a rare opportunity to inhabit a meticulously restored modernist landmark. Originally commissioned by Robert and Elsa Sale, the single-storey home exemplifies Neutra’s signature glass-walled design, with fluid living spaces radiating from a central kitchen. Panoramic glazing frames views of protected greenbelt land, city lights and the Pacific Ocean, allowing the house to shift with the seasons. Original details – including built-in furniture and mosaic tile work by Elsa Sale – were preserved during a sensitive restoration completed in 2021. The house has always remained fully lived in rather than museum-like, embodying Neutra’s belief that architecture should enhance wellbeing.

A Czech chalet

Na Kukačkách is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional alpine chalet, designed by edit! architects in the Giant Mountains of the Czech Republic. While the exterior adheres strictly to local building codes – with a timber-clad form, gabled roof and stone plinth – the interior introduces a bold, vertically connected spatial experience. Built using prefabricated cross-laminated timber panels, the chalet maximises daylight and views through large-format glazing on its freer façades. The main living space occupies the first floor, where a soaring timber ceiling and expansive west-facing window frame the mountainous landscape. Bedrooms are tucked into the eaves above, linked by a gallery that overlooks the living area.

A calming Palma home

Casa Óculo, designed by OHLAB on the outskirts of Palma, is a contemporary Mediterranean home shaped by light and material ageing. Defined by a large flat roof stretching across the site, the house is organised beneath thick lime-rendered walls that rhythmically divide interior spaces. A circular oculus punctures the roof, functioning as a domestic sundial that tracks the sun’s movement throughout the day. Materials – lime mortar, stone floors, wood and brass – were chosen for their ability to weather gracefully, and a lush Mediterranean garden is treated as an extension of the house, merging interior and exterior life. Casa Óculo offers a calm, sensory environment where architecture quietly frames the passage of time.

A woodland retreat

What began as a simple weekend retreat for a New York City couple evolved into a lifestyle transformation anchored by architecture and farming. Designed by Desai Chia Architecture, this house sits atop an 86-acre site in Columbia County with sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains. The low, elongated structure is organised around a central glass-walled living space, with bedroom wings extending on either side. A sweeping curved roof, inspired by the silhouette of oak leaves, shapes light, directs rainwater and softens the building’s relationship to the land. As the project unfolded, a working farm emerged alongside the house, turning the retreat into an immersive, seasonal way of life deeply connected to place.

A London retrofit

Trace is a low-carbon retrofit project by Bureau de Change that reimagines a 1980s brick building in Euston as contemporary multi-family housing rooted in circular design principles. Rather than demolish the existing structure, the architects retained and extended it, adding two floors to create five new apartments. The most distinctive feature is the bespoke glass-reinforced concrete façade, made using crushed bricks salvaged from the original building. Inspired by Georgian proportions and arches, and ntegrated into the wider Euston Area Plan, Trace demonstrates how reuse, material innovation and architectural sensitivity can offer a compelling model for urban housing.

Daisy Ranch on Salt Spring Island sounds intruigingly more like a whimsical fictional residence than an actual home. However, this is the latest project by architecture firm Olson Kundig, which created an unapologetically personalised cabin-like home for their builder and fabricator client, Patrick Powers.

Inside Daisy Ranch by Olson Kundig

The residence, in British Columbia, Canada, is inspired by its context – a landscape wild and remote, rooted in nature. ‘This energy really drives the architecture,’ says Tom Kundig, co-founder at the firm. ‘We wanted the house to feel connected to that environment, influenced by the climate, culture, and rugged character.’

His client, of course, played a large role. Kundig explains: 'He is a skilled contractor and fabricator, but also someone who loves craft and has a real lust for life. That raw sense of adventure – reflected in his family’s lifestyle – is woven into the design. It’s a house that’s meant to be lived in, explored, and enjoyed; a reflection of both the place and the people who live there.’

The earliest inspiration for the design came from the turn-of-the-century brick farmhouse that Powers grew up in in Ontario. In particular, it was his childhood corner bedroom with windows on two sides that shaped his relationship with light, views, and the feeling of being connected to the landscape. Daisy Ranch has similar qualities, featuring large windows that bring the outdoors in.

The home’s interior acts as a museum of personal items and family history, which creates a warm and cosy environment. Bocci lighting features in the living room, while audio is courtesy of a sound system by Ryan Johnston. Design studio Chairman Ting created artwork for the floors and kitchen island, while the log-cabin fabrication was delivered by Nicola Logworks.

‘My favourite part of the house is the main space,’ Kundig tells Wallpaper*. ‘That’s where everything comes together – the inside and outside, the views stretching in both directions, and the pulse of family life. It’s the heart of the home and a place that feels like a launchpad for adventure, setting the rhythm for how they live their lives on the Gulf Islands.’

The architectural design offers a deep connection to the landscape, founded in honest and durable materials. Its straightforward framework emphasises the tiny details by the hands of the maker. It puts the spotlight on how materials come together, and as Kundig puts it, ‘how a building is conceived, assembled, and experienced’.

While Olson Kundig crafted the architectural framework and modern volumes, Powers slowly developed the interior palette over the course of the build. He used found objects for vanities, steel tubes for firewood storage, and Corten steel for the kitchen counters and backsplash, ‘all are an expression of who I am and who I have become over the build of this house’, he says.

Powers continues, ‘I’ve always hosted what I think are fantastic parties in fantastic spaces. This house is unquestionably a fantastic party house – it’s architectural, but it’s also rough and tumble and ready to put on a show. We run the gauntlet of parties here – dinner parties, birthday parties, small music festivals – it’s meant to be a beating pulse for my family and my friends.’

At the core of the house is a canoe, which hangs from the living room ceiling. ‘It was a present that was given to [my father] when he contracted polio as a small child, to help him rebuild his shoulders that were left damaged from that experience,’ Powers tells Wallpaper*. ‘He grew up with the canoe, courted my mother in it and finally paddled my brothers and me around the Georgian Bay. The canoe feels at home here and represents the love of my family.’

The home has also been designed with the client’s children in mind. On the deck is a half-pipe skating ramp for his son, while in the living room, there are aerial silks suspended for his daughter. ‘First and foremost, the house could never feel precious,’ says Powers. ‘It had to be tough enough to let two young children live freely – running, skateboarding, painting, and generally using the house as a backdrop to real life rather than something to be wary of using. I think of the house in the same way I do my beautiful 1979 Ford pick-up truck. Dents and scratches are a form of patina, not damaged goods.’

For visitors entering the space, Kundig says, ‘My hope is that they’re met with a sense of possibility and wonder, as if something unexpected might happen around any corner. The house is meant to spark curiosity and creativity, to feel adventurous without being prescriptive. It’s about creating a home where everything can merge into something special – something that could only happen at this point in time, in this very place.’

olsonkundig.com

Discover more unusual homes in Tom Kundig: Complete Houses (Phaidon, 2025)

This is the latest instalment of The Inside Story, Wallpaper’s series spotlighting intriguing, innovative and industry-leading interior design.

This home marks a departure for The Inside Story. Not a grand build or lofty renovation, but a modest – almost poky – cabin on Lake Wandawega in Wisconsin. It’s a (totally unstaged) study in anti-trend interiors, cultural salvage and the idea that true luxury lies in provenance; not styled to appear vintage, but genuinely constructed from it.

The property’s history begins in the 1920s, when it was one of three tiny family-built cabins, sharing a single outdoor bathroom. In the 1950s, a stonemason took ownership, adding cladding, an indoor bathroom, a proper kitchen and two oversized stone fireplaces adorned with ‘pencil fossils’ – fertility symbols set into the mantels. By the 1970s, the cabin was home to an elderly PE teacher and her friend, a former college roommate who had become a nun. The cabin’s most recent chapter began when the team behind Camp Wandawega – a nostalgic ‘summer camp’-inspired resort near Elkhorn, Wisconsin – assumed stewardship and restored it, treating it as ‘a cultural object restored one artifact at a time’.

Over the course of nearly a year, the team deliberately resisted contemporary restoration clichés: no shiplap, no whitewashed surfaces. Instead, they focused on uncovering what already existed, in one case peeling back six layers of flooring to reveal the original tile. The result feels ‘less like renovation and more like ethnography’.

In the living room, original walnut panelling and cabinetry remain, as does the stonemason’s fireplace. Added: a carpet in ‘Hitchcock green’, its hue recalling dusty roadside motels and cocktail lounges, and furnishings including a Platner table found on Craigslist, 1940s Tyrolean chairs from Etsy, and a five-foot 1970s abstract oil painting. The space is layered with objects and curios: a folk-art ship sculpture, Frankoma pottery, and pieces drawn from Camp Wandawega’s own archive.

The bathroom, originally a deteriorating 1940s lean-to, was stripped back and rebuilt with custom-poured concrete walls and a sloped base, tinted in a variation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘Cherokee Red’. The standout pieces here are a robin’s-egg blue 1960s toilet and sink by industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss, discovered – improbably – in perfect condition in a Harley Davidson rider’s backyard seven hours away. A wood-lined skylight and a 1970s Yves Saint Laurent towel set, assembled from pieces scoured online, complete the space.

In the kitchen, beneath layers of plastic wood and successive decades of linoleum, lay the original 1940s tile. The original farm sink was retained, alongside a rare fold-out ‘Murphy sink’ typical of early tourist cottages. A Raymond Loewy-esque 1950s Kelvinator fridge and a Tappan appliance range sourced for free on Craigslist sit alongside a $70 Chromcraft table paired with 1940s Tyrolean chairs. A junk drawer in the kitchen revealed a time capsule of sorts, containing shot glasses from 50 years worth of parties.

The bedroom – diminutive at 8x10 feet – is wrapped entirely in wood panelling. The Hitchcock-green felt mat continues here, while furnishings include a Chinese MCM sideboard sourced via Facebook Marketplace, a mirror acquired during a McDonald’s parking-lot exchange, and 1940s barkcloth Navajo-print curtains. The headboard is a salvaged 1940s camp sign, and the bed is layered with textiles from across centuries: an 1880s Welsh coverlet, a 1940s woven spread and a vintage Bates plaid.

In a world dominated by high-end, high-spec resort interiors, this ‘little wooden shoebox’ of a home feels sincere – rooted in history, rich in narrative and effortlessly cool.

If there’s one thing that Wallpaper* does well, it’s houses – spotlighting architecturally arresting gems from around the globe and spanning the spectrum of modern design. Our inboxes are overflowing with news of the world’s most boundary-pushing architectural projects, and we strive to bring you the very best.

To ensure you don’t miss a thing – and to showcase the scope of residential architecture today – we’ve launched a monthly series: The Architecture Edit. Each instalment will highlight our favourite houses of the month: buildings that demonstrate creative planning, innovative methods and, of course, aesthetic excellence.

A terraced home transformation

Architects Edward Williams and Laura Carrara-Cagni of Cagni Williams Associates reimagined this Edwardian terraced house in south London as a sustainable, light-filled home. A striking new ‘gallery’ extension – clad in Corten steel and glass – replaces the old conservatory and brings a sculptural modernity to the rear façade. The rest of design balances bold forms with natural warmth, linking home and garden through large pivoting doors and oak-lined interiors. From the outset, sustainability guided the project, which features an air-source heat pump and underfloor heating.

A Malibu beach pad

Interior designer Pamela Shamshiri has transformed a 1990s Malibu beachfront compound for producer Jana Bezdek, fusing Hollywood glamour with Brazilian modernism. Inspired by Lina Bo Bardi and James Bond, the main house features a sculptural De Sede sofa, white terrazzo floors and a curved timber bar, all cast in an elegant taupe-to-caramel palette. Elsewhere, a crimson screening room exudes California luxury, and mirrored walls ensure ocean views from the bedroom and office. Outside, lush landscaping and tiered terraces further blur the boundary between indoor and out.

An Arizona compound

Prompted by a zoning law change that sanctioned attached secondary units, architect Benjamin Hall converted this suburban Phoenix house into a multigenerational desert compound. Using cost-efficient concrete masonry units (CMU), he designed a 1,700 sq ft addition that harmonises with the desert landscape both aesthetically and environmentally – thick, insulated walls, concrete floors and maple cabinetry create a minimalist yet welcoming interior, while sliding doors open onto a courtyard planted with native flora and framed by mountain views.

A Canadian modernist gem

Perched on Bowen Island near Vancouver, Morse House (1983) by Dick Mann of Thompson Berwick Pratt epitomises West Coast modernism. Crafted from cedar, fir, stone and glass, the 21,526 sq ft residence immerses its occupants in forest and ocean panoramas. A cedar staircase descends to a glazed façade surrounded by gardens and waterfalls, leading to an atrium centred around a 50ft pool and a soaring great hall. With its guesthouse, gym and private dock, this handcrafted home achieves a rare equilibrium between architecture and nature.

An eco-brutalist sanctuary

On the outskirts of Hyderabad, Antriya by 23 Degrees Design Shift redefines brutalism as lush, livable and sustainable. Constructed from local Khammam sandstone and Markapuram slate, and softened with reclaimed teak and abundant greenery, the 14,500 sq ft residence accommodates three generations of one family. Cascading plants and lily pad-filled ponds blur boundaries between architecture and nature while passively regulating the tropical climate. Concealed behind boundary walls, the home seems to emerge from the undergrowth as you approach – a tactile, nature-infused reimagining of brutalism.

A Canadian cabin 

In Ontario’s wooded hills, AKB Architects’ Timbertop is a minimalist four-bedroom retreat designed for family gatherings and outdoor adventure. The single-storey, barn-inspired home marries rural simplicity with modern refinement. Clad in crisp white to contrast with the surrounding evergreens, the home withstands heavy snow and wind while maintaining warmth and intimacy under its pitched gabled roof. Open-plan living, kitchen and library spaces create a cosy refuge amid the winter landscape.

A rainforest retreat

Set deep in the Costa Rican jungle, Studio House by Dagmar Štěpánová of Formafatal appears to float above a slope on concrete and Corten steel supports, minimising impact on the terrain. Designed as Štěpánová’s personal residence, the 125 sq m structure consists of open terraces, raw concrete interiors and a glazing-free ocean-facing window which immerses the home in the sounds and textures of the forest. Two simple bedrooms and an infinity pool continue the elemental aesthetic, while the rooftop and east terraces offer uninterrupted views of the Pacific.

A brick and concrete home

In Ahmedabad, architect Vaissnavi Shukl’s Teen Vaults reinterprets brick-and-concrete construction. Originally conceived as a weekend retreat, it evolved into a full-time family residence organised around three vaulted volumes – one for for dining, one for living, and one for reading. Exposed brick walls, terrazzo floors and teak furniture evoke a grounded simplicity, while a folded concrete staircase with a wooden-bead railing adds sculptural elegance. A central courtyard surrounded by mango and frangipani trees serves as the home’s spiritual heart.

Across a field of powdery snow lies a minimalist Canadian cabin by Akb Architects; welcome to Timbertop. The four-bedroom home located in Mono, Ontario, was designed for a family that share a love for the outdoors. The structure's single-storey plan was conceived to help with practicality and ease of movement during action-packed getaways. Fittingly, the residence is also equipped with a large mudroom and shoe cubbies, as well as shelves to store seasonal equipment and embrace country life.

Situated on top of a clearing within the landscape that the client lovingly calls the 'Rolling Hills of Old Ontario', the 200-acre property has remained in the same family for many generations. When the land was first purchased and built upon, the old structure on site eventually outlived its usefulness and was removed, leaving behind space for a new residence.

Tour this minimalist Canadian cabin

Timbertop was designed with the intention of serving as a weekend getaway for the new generation of the family and its three young children. Given its location, it is the perfect spot to enjoy the surrounding trails while walking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, and using ATVs. The woodland is home to deer, porcupines and turkeys.

When designing the home for their clients, the architects referenced local barns and farm structures. ‘The design draws inspiration from local agrarian building typologies, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens,’ explains AKB Architects’ creative director Kelly Buffey, also behind striking holiday homes such as Whistling Wind. ‘It pays homage to the powerful simplicity of utilitarian barn forms and the understated character of traditional Ontario farmhouses, historically clad in white-painted clapboard.' This creates a narrative between past and present and creates, what Buffey describes as a ‘subtle tension that feels both bold and restrained’.

Words such as 'bold' and 'restrained' could also extend to the environment, which posed the biggest challenge for the architects when designing the home. ‘Construction spanned two winter seasons, bringing relentless snowfall and drifting snow. Situated on a plateau at the crest of a hill, the site is exposed and often windy. Before the structure was enclosed, snow had to be cleared from the interior repeatedly, only to blow back in with each wind squall,’ says Buffey.

Regardless, the team prevailed, their efforts resulting in a cosy cabin-like home. Inside the residence, the open kitchen with a harvest table acts as a social area, bookmarked by a built-in pantry and library wall.

However, it is the main living space which is Buffey’s favourite area. Located beneath the gabled roof, the long windows invite light, which animates the interior. Buffey tells Wallpaper*: ‘It provides a space of mental stillness, where everything feels inevitable, effortless, and deeply human.

‘I want visitors to feel an immediate sense of intimacy and belonging – like a warm embrace. The architecture is meant to dissolve rather than impress; it invites presence. Light is choreographed to move quietly through the spaces, revealing subtle textures and framing views of the surrounding landscape. There’s a balance of precision and warmth where beauty inspires an experience that I hope makes people feel both uplifted and grounded.’

akb.ca

If there’s one thing that we at Wallpaper* do well, it’s houses – spotlighting architecturally arresting gems from around the globe and spanning the spectrum of modern design. Our inboxes are overflowing with news of the world’s most boundary-pushing architectural projects, and we strive to bring you the very best.

To ensure you don’t miss a thing – and to showcase the scope of residential architecture today – we’ve launched a new monthly series: The Architecture Edit. Each instalment will highlight our favourite houses of the month: buildings that demonstrate creative planning, innovative methods and, of course, aesthetic excellence.

A pink desert house in Mexico

Casa Cardona, designed by Sensacional Dinamica Mexicana, stands out in the arid landscape of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with its pink façade. Architect Sergio Padilla Contreras drew inspiration from the shades of the desert, but the home's vibrant exterior – which evokes the hues of prickly pear cactus fruit – is more than aesthetic: it reflects light and shadow throughout the day, echoing the natural shifts of its environment. Casa Cardona embraces the architectural principle of ‘mass over void’, forming a protective, introspective shell that prioritises interior experiences of silence, light and shadow. Strategically placed openings allow sunlight to filter across the interiors, while a tree, integrated into the living space, completes the sensory ambience with texture and scent.

A coastal Kent cabin

Nina Tolstrup and Jack Mama of Studiomama transformed a modest chalet on the Kent coast into a warm retreat for their friends, chefs Sam and Sam Clark of London restaurant Moro. The 33 sq m cabin makes the ever-changing sea view its focal point – the coastal light enters through a north-facing picture window framing the water, a glazed rear door, and skylights. Wrapped entirely in thermally-treated pine, the interior feels simultaneously minimal and inviting. Every detail has been meticulously designed for functionality and harmony, from bunk seating and under-bed storage to a built-in, curved kitchen that recedes into the timber walls. The result is a calming space that feels much larger than its footprint.

A floating modernist villa

Villa Kogelhof, designed by Dutch architect Paul de Ruiter, is a striking modernist residence in Kamperland, the Netherlands. It may sound counterintuitive given its concrete, glass and steel construction, but Villa Kogelhof was designed to blend seamlessly with the landscape and sky. Suspended on two concrete supports, the villa appears to float above a 25-hectare nature reserve. This land was once farmland, but has been rewilded as part of a national ecological initiative (permission to build on the site was only granted if it was restored to its pre-agricultural state). Featuring floor-to-ceiling glazing offering sweeping views of the flat Dutch scenery and North Sea, Villa Kogelhof’s minimalism is both dramatic and non-intrusive.

A midcentury bungalow

Osler House is a midcentury Vancouver bungalow originally designed by Canadian architect Ron Thom in 1951. It was renovated by Scott & Scott Architects in 2024, a project which aimed to preserve its original spirit while updating it for contemporary living. This was done with a full frame-up rebuild, along with the addition of a terrace, swimming pool and pool house. That said, much of the internal layout was retained, with only the 1982 staircase reconfigured. A concrete brick hearth provides privacy from the street, while cedar decking and Douglas fir interiors reflect both the home’s location and its midcentury roots. In fact, Scott & Scott was inspired by archival images of the home and used local wood construction techniques to echo Thom’s original design approach.

Donald Wexler’s Palm Springs home

The Wexler House, designed in 1954 by renowned Palm Springs modernist Donald Wexler, was both a family home and a design laboratory. Originally built for the architect and his wife Marilynn, the post-and-beam structure explored architectural concepts that would later influence his steel-framed prefabs. Despite its architectural pedigree, the home eventually fell into disrepair – until Daniel Patrick Giles, a fashion and fragrance entrepreneur, bought and restored it in 2007. Working with Wexler (before his 2015 passing) and architect Lance O’Donnell, Giles led a meticulous restoration. Although he sold the house in 2015, he bought it back six years later, and continued his project.

The last Alvar Aalto building in France

Technically, Maison Louis Carré, Finnish architect Alvar Aalto’s only remaining building in France, is now a museum, having been recently restored and reopened in this capacity. But it used to be the home of French art dealer Louis Carré, who commissioned it in the 1950s. It was completed in 1957, overseen by Aalto’s wife, Elissa, and local architect Marcel Roux. Located in Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, about 40km from Paris, the home was designed as both a private residence and a space to exhibit Carré’s art collection, and exemplifies Aalto’s holistic design approach, which integrates architecture, furniture and landscape.

A home of Indian modernism

The Kanade brothers – Shankar and Navnath – crafted a quiet but powerful legacy of modernist architecture in India, rooted in material honesty, contextual design and social consciousness. Their shared home in the village of Nagaj is an embodiment of these values. Designed by Navnath, the house is built from local laterite stone, with minimal finishes and clever spatial sequencing. It is a modernist structure that is deeply Gandhian in ethos – simple, with exposed materials and minimal ornamentation. Navnath, who passed away in 2024, believed air and people should move freely through space. The home reflects this, with fluid transitions between areas and human-scaled courtyards.

Within the forests of Vancouver Island, a pair of secluded Canadian cabins have been given new life. Interior design studio Bidgood worked in close collaboration on the design with owners Niobe Thompson and Linda Chang, documentary filmmakers, who sought a family retreat with a minimal footprint.

‘The intention was to transform these two neglected structures into a family gathering place for years to come,’ says Kyla Bidgood, founder and principal at Bidgood. ‘The design was centred around longevity, and creating something that could be lived in and last.’ Rather than tearing down the cabins, Bidgood and the owners opted to preserve the original angular spirit of the two architectural forms – an approach that also speaks to an ethos of sustainability.

In the main 260 sq ft cabin, the downstairs features a living area, dining nook, and kitchen, with a lofted bedroom upstairs. The tiny 100 sq ft second cabin, or ‘bunkie’, provides additional sleeping areas and a small built-in desk. Both cabins are connected by a boardwalk, adding to the sense of immersion within the serene lakeside environment.

With the small footprint as a primary consideration, Bidgood took inspiration from the space-saving design of boat interiors by using built-in custom millwork throughout the cabins. The compact spaces were fully maximised, from a dining nook that reconfigures into a spare bed to shelving built into the staircases. Storage is cleverly integrated throughout the built-in living and sleeping areas. ‘We were really able to lean into craftsmanship,’ says Bidgood. ‘There’s so much detail on the built-in millwork, like the exposed dovetail joints in the kitchen and on the sofa.’

Materials such as Canadian oak, locally milled fir and stainless steel instill the space with a subdued beauty. Geometric windows frame the greenery of the forest and overlook the calm waters of the lake, putting the focus on the outdoors. In both cabins, thoughtful lighting complements the ambient natural light, creating a soft and calm atmosphere. ‘There needed to be pockets of light where necessary, but also pockets of shadow to create a bit of moodiness,’ says Bidgood. The lighting carefully integrates into the cabin design, including a built-in table lamp near the living area.

The interiors are elegant, pared back and functional, and the strong emphasis on longevity permeates the project. ‘We wanted to design it in a way that felt contemporary, but would age gracefully over the years,’ explains Bidgood. ‘The choices, even down to the wood species and stainless steel, were very much about how it would look and function over time.’

With short Canadian summers in mind, the cabins are intended to be enjoyed in all seasons. During the colder, rainy months, the windows offer a picturesque vantage onto the misty trees, while the wood-fired stove and a wood-barrelled sauna provide welcome warmth. In the summer, a dock and a rope swing into the lake bring a sense of playful joy. ‘It’s incredible to know that these cabins will be a backdrop for their family for so many years to come,’ says Bidgood.

The first thing that hits you stepping inside this contemporary cabin, a dramatic new residence perched on a rocky promontory on Argyll’s Rosneath Peninsula and titled Rock Cove, are the sea views. They wrap around the living space, forming an awesome natural backdrop to the contemporary interiors.

But there’s more than the visual splendour, says its owner: ‘Rock Cove isn’t just about the views. It’s an all-encompassing sensory experience being in the house, where you can smell the salt air, hear the wind and waves breaking against the rocks below at high tide, and see the constantly changing light and reflections on the water. It’s also a perfect viewing platform to watch the birds, seals and porpoises coming and going. The house is so close to the sea, you feel part of it.'

Tour this contemporary cabin and its wild setting

The client had previously collaborated with Cameron Webster Architects on a neighbouring property, Cape Cove, and had been thinking for years about transforming this adjacent plot, which is located on a strip of decommissioned MOD land, formerly used as a slipway and submarine signalling platform.

Rock Cove appears suspended in the air: it cantilevers over the sea anchored to the rocks below by two V-shaped steel legs. ‘Effectively half of the house is on land, and half is in the air,’ write its designers, Glasgow-based Cameron Webster Architects (an award-winning practice, also behind a cabin on Loch Venachar).

There are very practical considerations behind the spectacular yet low-lying design, which at its narrowest point is only about 8m wide. First, it was the best way to maximise the living space on the tight, narrow coastal plot. And second, it allowed for a flexible and accessible layout – a key consideration for the owner who is nearing retirement age.

Project architect Stuart Cameron created a long 250 sq m single-storey box, with on one side a timber-framed and -clad section housing four sheltered bedrooms opening to the native coastal garden, and on the other, a sea and sky-facing open-plan living area in a glazed steel frame structure.

‘It’s a long linear bit of land between the road and the sea, but only a portion of it was designated a settlement on the local plan,’ explains Cameron. ‘The planners were satisfied with us building on the site if we stayed within the settlement zone and on the edge of the protected open space. So, this is the main driving force for the design of Rock Cove. That is why the house is a long box that shoots out over the rocks. It wasn’t that we were aspiring to cantilever over the rocks, this was a consequence of the demarcation of the land.’

The coastal setting also inspired the material palette, which ranges from robust kebony timber cladding on the outside, which will weather to a silvery finish, to locally sourced rough basalt that references the craggy rocks below. Inside, sapele wood ceilings give the space a nautical look, and extend to the terraces outside.

‘Rock Cove is a marine house,’ says the client. ‘It has to deal with a lot of pressure from wind, sea, salt. The sea can be placid but also wild with waves breaking against the house and the tide comes in under the house. So, it has to be able to withstand all of that.’

A highlight of the design is ‘the simplicity of plan, and the infinity edge of floor at the living room window when seated with a swell on the sea,’ says Cameron, adding: ‘Rock Cove continues a theme of the work we did for the same client at Cape Cove – creating living spaces “on the water”, with mid-20th-century influences providing the general feel and thoughts on materiality.’

The project recently won the Supreme Award at the 2024 Glasgow Institute of Architects (GIA) Awards and is currently on the shortlist for the prestigious RIAS/RIBA Awards 2025 and Scottish Design Awards 2025. Judges at the GIA Awards described the project as ‘a building which sensitively responds to site and place, whilst at the same time creating a spectacular moment’.

cameronwebster.com

The search for the perfect modular cabin is one that unites architects, aesthetes, lovers of rural isolation, cottage core and off-grid minimalism in equal measure. For those lucky enough to have the perfect plot in mind, the new Niwa cabin from specialists Koto, could be the most straightway way to shape the ultimate wilderness space.

A modular cabin to make your own

A collection of four cabin sizes, all utilising the same modular, flat-pack design, Koto’s Niwa series starts with a compact 2.5 x 2.5m, described as ideal for a sauna or a small garden studio. The medium cabin measures 2.5 x 5m, offering enough space for an extra bedroom, while the large 5 x 5m cabin can double as a studio space or completely self-contained standalone accommodation. The maximum height is 3.6m.

The largest cabin in the Niwa range is the XL, with a footprint of 5 x 7.5m. Koto suggests this space could serve well as a fully kitted-out gym or accommodation space. Koto will build the cabin on the desired plot, with an experienced team who can put the pieces together and deliver a turnkey service.

The cabin range shares a similar aesthetic, with an asymmetric pitched roof and charred timber cladding. Generous glazing floods the interior with light and the tall ceiling adds to the sense of space. Koto use sustainably sourced timber and the structures are designed to sit lightly on their site without the need for expensive earthworks (although you’ll need to source and provide your own foundations, electrical and services, as well as sign off the legals).

Promising a lead time of ‘a few months’, with prices that start at £50,000 all in for UK delivery and installation of the small model, the Devon-based company reckons that once delivered, a cabin will take between four and 14 days to assemble and commission. The company also offers optional furniture packages to take care of every last detail.

Manufactured in Europe, Koto hopes the Niwa cabin range can be shipped worldwide, with a kit form that allows the entire structure to be containerised for easy transport. Two or more cabins can also be combined courtesy of the modular design format, allowing for much larger structures to be assembled, depending on local planning laws.

An even larger cabin, the XXL, is in development, promising two independent bedrooms and a bathroom. Interior options include oak or birch plywood for the studio and sleep cabins. Saunas are treated differently on account of the moisture and temperature; Koto uses hemlock, spruce or cedar wood.

Finally, there’s a choice between hooking up the cabin to the electrical grid or enquiring about off-grid options that are in development for those who have the space for a low-key, high-design spot of self-sufficiency.

Niwa cabins by Koto, available spring 2025, Koto.co.uk

Tiny homes and cabins in the wild, like Golden House, come close up to the elements, but in rural Estonia at least, they are often dark with windows too small for a proper nature watch. To this end, brothers and ÖÖD founders Jaak and Andreas Tiik started making minimal, mirrored versions with floor-to-ceiling windows and placing them next to striking beauty spots all over their homeland.

Explore the ÖÖD's Golden House

Nearly a decade on, ÖÖD has supplied hotels, distilleries and private estates in 25 countries with mirrored houses, saunas and offices. From the 9.36 sq m glamping cabin right up to the 26.3 sq m limited edition Golden House (with gold mirrored glass), each can be customised but comes with air-con and heating, a micro kitchen, a shower, a double bed and an outdoor terrace. The Golden House was designed in collaboration with British designers Buster + Punch and features leather, marble and brass fixtures and fittings. Like all other houses, it offers self-check-in, is free from single-use plastics, TVs and WiFi and can be off-grid depending on local, site-specific solutions.

Winters in Estonia regularly reach -10oC, and the Tiik brothers know about building in harsh climates. At the ÖÖD headquarters in Tartu, (this year’s European Capital of Culture) new designs are being developed, destined for Iceland. They will form the ÖÖD Hekla Horizon, a cluster of nine houses opening near the Hekla volcano in early 2025. Designed as a ‘Northern Lights hotel’, guests can view the auroras from their beds, hot tubs, and an all-glass Northern Lights Lounge.

Along with extreme weather, the cabins have to embrace wildlife, among them creatures of the forest who don’t know they are there. This year, guests at a mirrored cabin in Quebec enjoyed the company of a pack of wolves and in Estonia, reindeer and crows (the latter are drawn to their reflections) pop by. Birds might fly into mirrored surfaces, and such is the business's concern over their welfare that each ÖÖD house comes with UV film stickers that birds, but not humans, can see.

Our fascination with reflective houses never wanes; American artists Doug Aitken and Philip K. Smith III both built mirrored houses in the Californian desert that went viral on social media and The Invisible House, a mirrored mansion built by movie mogul Chris Hanley in Joshua Tree is on the market for $18m. ÖÖD houses cost a snip of the price. Even so, each environment has its demands. ‘The biggest lesson we have learned?’ says Andreas Tiik. ‘Never underestimate the power of nature and the specific challenges it presents.’

oodhouse.com

Thanks to a mobile sauna, after a long day of lectures, students at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design can treat themselves to a session sweating, chatting and chilling on campus. It’s the brainchild of product design students Friedrich Gerlach, Sophia Reißenweber and Emil Löber and was inspired by the university’s location in the German town of Halle.

Step inside this mobile sauna

The sauna holds three people – five if you want to get cosy – and is made from polycarbonate, which means it only weighs around 300kg and can be dragged like a giant wheelbarrow to an ideal spot. These are plentiful since the campus is on the River Saale which is perfect for rinsing off.

And though the sauna looks cool, it definitely doesn’t feel it. Inside temperatures reach 110 degrees centigrade and Gerlach and his team ‘put tons of pressure on the stove to test the resistance of the polycarbonate, which shrinks and stretches when it’s heated. It moves so much, screws would have caused it to rip, so we welded all three layers to a steel frame.’

One year on, the sauna is still going strong. It’s free to use; bathers simply feed the fire (from the outside, minimising mess and maximising space), make a donation, and clean up after themselves. And this being Germany, everyone is naked, but the translucent façade ensures bodies inside are mere silhouettes.

When it draws too much attention (which it often does), it can be towed away by eager bathers to a more secluded spot. ‘It would be very cool to manufacture it and take it on tour,’ says Gerlach, who sees his sauna as a ‘playful rebellion that challenges the status quo and brings a space of calm and care to the heart of the city’. 

While a ‘plastic’ sauna may not sound plausible, these low-cost, lightweight sweatboxes are a popular option with handy types who like to experiment. In the UK, carpenter and sauna fan Jamie Holden built himself a see-through sweat box in his garden in Sea Palling, Norfolk, and Michael Antoniuk of Aspen Saunas has installed his first polycarbonate sauna and cold plunge on a farm in Oxfordshire.

And in Norway, Estudio Herreros, the architectural firm behind Oslo’s Munch Museum, has created a floating sauna in another unlikely material – powder-coated, recycled aluminium. It was commissioned by the Oslo Sauna Association and is yet another design-facing sweatbox on the city’s fjord. Such is the popularity of hot and cold contrast therapy in the city that the royal family even turned up for the opening.

With these new approaches to an ancient art, sauna is finding fresh converts who are drawn by its invigorating blend of wellness, relaxation and social bonds. 

Emma O'Kelly's book, Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat, is available from Amazon

FriedrichGerlach.de

Sophia-Reissenweber.de

@Emil.Loeber

SaunaBox.co.uk

AspenSaunas.com

EstudioHerreros.com

The MOCA cabin design is the latest mobile home showcasing beautifully crafted minimalist architecture while responding to the wave of remote working and wanderlust of our time. Developed by a team of master’s students at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), the timber-framed Mobile Catalyst (affectionately abbreviated to 'MOCA' by its creators) offers an exploration into self-sufficient living, crafted out of locally sourced natural materials, sustainable architecture, and digital construction techniques.

Explore this sustainably minded mobile home

Responding to the increase in remote working, an aftermath of the global pandemic, IAAC was inspired to investigate resilient human habitations that met contemporary needs, without the dependency on fossil fuels. The 2022-2023 student cohort was briefed to rapidly design and construct a mobile home to accommodate two individuals. Furthermore, the design shouldn’t be limited to residential purposes, but also be flexible to serve as a meeting place, a library or a space for concerts and events, depending on its context.

MOCA’s interior is constructed from sustainably harvested dowel-laminated timber produced at IAAC, and makes up a 5.4m-long platform that is 2.4m wide, and with a ceiling reaching 3.6m tall. The rectangular volume features two anchors. 

At the front of the trailer, the space includes necessary domestic utilities, such as a kitchen, shower area, toilet and utility cabinet for electric and water metabolic systems. The central, flexible, living space is situated towards the rear of the volume.

The façade is operable and consists of two layers. Glass doors and a water-resistant cotton fabric can provide options for the amount of privacy needed, and adapt to surrounding weather conditions. The glass doors can be held open, semi-open, or closed, while the fabric slides and neatly folds up with a mechanical pulley.

Running on solar power, the home has a set of three light-flexible monocrystalline solar panels on its roof and is equipped to sustain 24 hours of use before recharging. The interior lining is wrapped in LED strips, casting a warming glow.

MOCA was designed with the assumption users would be working on laptops and phones - a dominant factor in defining energy consumption. Two beds are situated on a mezzanine floor, with a movable ladder for easy access. In the kitchen, a sink, a single burner stove, fridge, and storage are installed. A shower area and toilet box make up the bathroom. Shower water is collected in a basin, stored and then filtered and reintroduced to the system.

iaac.net

The Buitenverblijf Nest house takes the idea of a 'folly' and gives it a nature-inspired take, with its oversized birdhouse form and whimsical love-nest nods. 

A structure of its typology is defined, as its architects i29 explain, as 'a non-conventional structure that serves an artistic or playful purpose'. The Nest does just that, tucked away as it is in a peaceful, verdant location in the woodlands near Arnhem, within the artistic enclave of Buitenplaats Koningsweg – a former barracks reinvented into a creative community. 

A nest house for nature lovers

Conceived as a ‘tiny house’ holiday home, the Nest, with its slim, raised-on-stilts volume and timber nature, blends with the surrounding trees easily. It was designed to create a sense of tranquillity and offer seclusion and connection with the outdoors, explain the architects, who worked together with Namo Architecture & Hagoort Bouw on the project. 

'[The] design refers to the archetypal image of a bird house,' the architects write. 'The folly is built with respect for nature, using high-quality materials that have little or no impact on human, animal and environmental health.'

Indeed, environmental concerns from the architect-and-client team meant that sustainable architecture was important in the design development. As a result, Nest is equipped with economical all-electric installations and a highly insulated building envelope, while solar panels on the roof cater for energy needs. 

And while the structure of course responds to the needs of human inhabitation, it also offers a home to the local flora and fauna, as birds, tree climbing plants, and insects gradually take over parts of the Nest and are encouraged to settle in. For example, behind the cladding, nuthatches, woodpeckers and bats can seek shelter.  

The cabin comprises two internal floors. The lower one contains a kitchen and living room, spilling out to a large terrace. The top level features a large, four-person bed. The minimalist interiors, smartly enhanced through hidden storage and built-in cupboards, allow for the residents to truly immerse themselves in nature, and feel part of their green surroundings at every turn. 

i29.nl 

Available to book on Airbnb

‘Wellness' is the buzzword of the moment, and its subgenre, 'wellness architecture', is popping up everywhere too; but what do they mean exactly? Is wellness about connecting with nature in ways that amplify relaxation and harmony? Does it mean embracing clean living and a back-to-basics simplicity? Or is it about building resilience and breaking through your comfort zone? It can be all three, but given that studies show that we spend 90 per cent of our time indoors, buildings have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing, and architects are considering all options in their designs of offices, schools, hotels and hospitals.  

‘The role that mental health and wellbeing at the workplace play in our welfare are now better appreciated than before,’ says Italian architect Mario Cucinella. ‘It’s about finding the right balance to live in harmony with the planet and ourselves.’ Cucinella is one of many architects tuning into biophilic design and incorporating natural elements into his schemes which range from high-rise housing in Rome and Vienna that burst with greenery, to hospitals and offices. ‘The way we occupy the earth through our buildings is critical in this equation,’ he adds. 

To this end, medical spas and luxury hotels are emphasising nature and the outdoors, adding guided forest walks, ice bathing and wild swimming to the mix – and a raft of cabin builders have never been so busy, as we equate wellness with retreating into the woods. ‘Natural materials, spaces that are connected to nature and that enable people to feel part of a community are all important,’ says Mikko Jakonen of Finnish architects Puisto, whose retirement homes are designed to be places that are tempting to move into, rather than being ‘a last resort’. Old-fashioned remedies such as fresh air, peace and quiet, and a good night’s sleep have never been so popular.  

Wellness architecture: trend-setting case studies

Paimio Sanatorium, Finland 

Recently, the legendary piece of Finnish modernist architecture that is Piamio opened a handful of its rooms to overnight guests. In keeping with Alvar Aalto’s vision for his landmark sanitorium, built in 1932 as a tuberculosis clinic, most rooms have single beds and en suite bathrooms, and guests eat homegrown food in the canteen. The rooms are the first stage of a renovation that will include a museum, event and exhibition space, and a further 140 rooms. It was a groundbreaking project when it first opened and remains a key example of wellness architecture to this day. 

paimiosanatorium.com

New Hospital of Cremona, Italy 

Ever since Florence Nightingale advocated natural light, ventilation and greenery in hospitals in the 19th century, these important spaces for healthcare and wellness have, more often than not, steadily deteriorated into over-lit, over-heated and even inhospitable places. But the New Hospital of Cremona near Milan changes tack. Featuring a health park, a library and short-term residences for patients and families, along with natural light, greenery and space for ever-evolving high-tech care, it ‘returns to the idea of the hospital as part of the life of the city’, says its creator, architect Mario Cucinella.  

mcarchitects.it 

Luoto sauna restaurant, Finland

Sauna restaurants, where bathers go to heat, meet and eat, are something of a trend in Finland, thanks in part to Helsinki architects Puisto. The firm’s latest creation is Luoto, located on the shores of Lake Kallavesi in south-eastern Finland. Featuring two saunas, a yoga room, a restaurant and a panoramic terrace, access by foot, boat or bike is encouraged (space for cars is deliberately limited) and charred wood, dim lighting and rustic tables ‘avoid clinical aesthetics’. 

Luotokuopio.fi; studiopuisto.fi

Out of the Valley, UK

When Devon-based designer Rupert McKelvie built himself an off-grid cabin on Dartmoor and moved in, people liked it so much they commissioned him to build cabins for them too. Out of The Valley was born, catering to our increasing need for peace and seclusion, as well as immersion in nature. Since 2016, McKelvie has created nomadic shelters, furniture, cabins and saunas that allow skill, simplicity and natural surroundings to shine. The Jōki Elements Sauna, created in collaboration with Koto Design, is one of their latest product launches. 

outofthevalley.co.uk 

Six Senses Japan 

Six Senses lands in downtown Kyoto later in 2024 with an 81-room hotel that brings authentic Japanese décor, seasonal gardens, healing and bathing rituals and Zen culture into an aesthetically charming whole. It is the brand’s first opening in Japan, and in a city famous for its onsen (hot springs surrounded by traditional Japanese inns), the spa will be sure to deliver, bringing together old wisdom and traditions with 21st-century comforts and flair. 

sixsenses.com

Therme Bucharest

At its flagship spa in Bucharest, Therme’s slogan is ‘Wellbeing for All’ and with tickets starting at 14 euros, and facilities that stretch from onsen and hammans to swimming pools, treatments, and dining, it’s an accessible wellness world like no other. And so popular is the concept that it’s on the move; Therme has secured a site in Incheon City, South Korea, and a former site has been demolished and construction of a brand new Therme Manchester begins soon. 

therme.ro  

Juno Vet, Canada

Our four-legged friends make us happy (just look at the queues at the capybara petting parks in Tokyo), and when they’re in distress, we feel it too. Which is why Alda Ly's ALA Studio wanted to create a vet clinic that feels reassuringly safe and soothing – so wellness architecture can work its wonders for our furry companions too. The Juno clinic in Toronto sends the message that pets, ‘pet parents’ and the staff who have to look after both are equally cared for and considered.

junovet.com; alastudio.com

Acclaimed author Dominic Bradbury has turned his practiced eye to one of the most intriguing of all domestic design categories – the cabin. However, Off the Grid: Houses for Escape Across North America (Thames & Hudson) is no paean to hairshirt austerity or rudimentary residences. Instead, this is a lavish collection of houses designed to maximise their privileged position across a variety of North American wildernesses, from forests to far-off coastlines, deserts, hills and dunes. 

Off the Grid homes in North America

The result is a portfolio of 42 contemporary projects, designed by foreign firms as well as North American architects from across the continent. Divided into three broad categories (Countryside & Forest, Waterside & Coast, and Hillside & Mountain), the only real unifying factor is location; these are houses without access to traditional services or facilities, and therefore have a special and intense relationship with their surroundings. 

This factor is a matter of necessity, not just a pose, and although solar arrays and wells are featured extensively, some of the projects are far more experimental and grungy, ranging from a cabin for surfers to the High Plains Prototype, built by Urs Peter Flueckinger and Texas Tech University, and the compact Klein A45 cabin by BIG and Søren Rose.

As a result, scale also varies widely, from the aforementioned one-room cabins to fully equipped second homes with guest houses and pools. The book includes work from a wide range of architects, including established studios like Bjarke Ingels’s BIG, IwamotoScott Architecture, Eggleston Farkas, KieranTimberlake, Olson Kundig and Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, to smaller, lesser-known practices.

Off the Grid serves as both an inspirational manual for new ways to live sympathetically with nature, and yet another way for the perpetually inquisitive to see how others live.

Off the Grid: Houses for Escape Across North America, Dominic Bradbury, Thames & Hudson, £35 / $45, ThamesandHudsonUSA.com, also available from Amazon and Waterstones

Offering simplicity and design led thinking, Câpsula, a tiny homes concept initiated by architecture studio i29, has launched at Dutch Design Week 2023. The project's scale may be small, the team behind it highlights, but it has big ambitions and a richness in 'bare essentials.' The idea is to hone down the notion of slow living, creating the perfect cabin architecture and opting for fewer, but better, options, because 'To be happy, how much do we need?'

Câpsula: a carefully distilled tiny home series

As a result, Câpsula is a carefully distilled series of prefabricated cabins and tiny homes. The family of designs contains three iterations: Soft Lodge, Writer’s Block Hut, and Tiny Holiday Home. The mix allows for a variety of scales and approaches to fit different needs, uses and settings.

Minimalist architecture here does not equate blandness or a cold atmosphere, as every inch and detail in these tiny retreats has been lovingly perfected and imbued with meaning. A connection between interiors and exteriors is central, as is the use of timber as the main material - alongside more natural textures and colours. A pared down approach throughout, innovation and sustainable architecture are also central to the Câpsula DNA.

Prototypes of two of the structures in the series - i29's Soft Lodge and Writer’s Block Hut - are built for Dutch Design Week 2023 and will be on display, available to be experienced in real life in the garden of DOMUSDELA. Additionally, Writer’s Block Hut will serve as the location for a podcast broadcast, crafting discussions with creatives about their work process, and its relationship to space.

It's all about 'living large with less,' i29 write; and the concept is aiming to grow as the business does. While these initial designs are by i29, the idea that there will be opportunities for more designer and architect collaborations with the company in the future. Watch this space.

i29.nl 

White Rock was always meant to be a holiday home – but not the type of villa in which one would entertain friends, throw big parties, and organise family reunions. This is a countryside escape designed as a retreat. Its creator, Canadian architect Omar Gandhi, leads offices in Toronto and Halifax (he spends most of his time, in his home and office space in the latter), and following the global pandemic's ups and downs, felt in need of a place in which to hide away and recharge. The idea of a contemporary cabin in the woods slowly emerged. 

White Rock: a true escape

His concept, however, was as flexible as his home/office in Halifax – where the ground floor is dedicated to an open, adaptable space whose purpose is to connect with the local community, through a variety of events. In a similar way, White Rock, set in the picturesque Gaspereau Valley, was designed to be shared, and house not just his family and himself, but also employees and friends, remaining open to all to use when needed for their mental health. 

'I am a fan of the valley, a captivating four-season region offering skiing, hiking, cycling and wine amenities. It’s quickly gaining popularity as an alternative to the oceanfront south shore. Following the challenges of Covid, our project was born from the aspiration to create a serene woodland retreat, a meditative escape. Diverging from neighbouring properties, we embraced a unique approach, blending craft, design, texture, and light variation to evoke an aura of mystery and darkness complemented by delightful surprises and breathtaking views of the forest and valley beyond,'  said Gandhi.

The entire house was designed as a 'sensory experience' – from the approach, with the elegant, minimalist timber structure slowly revealed between the foliage of mature trees, to the interior, where natural materials, large openings towards nature, soft lighting, and neutral colours dominate. 

A palette of smoked oak interiors, raw steel shelving and wall-mounted industrial light fixtures, is punctuated by furnishings including antique linen, an Arne Norell lounge chair, designs by Luca Nichetto and Montauk, and appliances (carefully concealed in tailor-made cabinets) by Fisher & Paykel. 

Bedrooms and a bathroom are nestled into the first floor, and the second level, with its expansive glazing and long views, was reserved for the main living space. A staircase leads up through a hatch to the very top, which offers a secluded roof terrace. 

'White Rock is a tribute to both the harmony between architecture and nature and its contrasts, thoughtfully crafted to evoke joy and intrigue,' the architects write. 

omargandhi.com 

A modest cabin on the shores of the island of Ny-Hellesund has become the perfect way to admire the drama of the Norwegian countryside. The retreat, a bolthole of less than 50 sq m for a local couple seeking to escape the city, was designed by Oslo-based KIMA arkitektur, headed by Inge Hareide, Martin Dietrichson and Kristoffer Moe Bøksle. Simple, compact and functional, the space is a celebration of both minimalism and cabin architecture, taking its rocky and green context and placing it centre stage through natural material, unfussy forms and large openings. Referencing local fishing huts in its form and materiality, the cabin was named Krabbebu ('crab shack').

Krabbebu: a modest cabin for a spectacular site

The architect and client, designer Andreas Engesvik (part of the team behind the Munch Museum's furniture) and his family, worked closely on the project – creating the interiors and a bespoke kitchen - they also considered carefully their natural context. The pine wood used was locally sourced and the structure was built by craftspeople from the region.

Moe Bøksle remembers: 'The Søgne archipelago is an attractive place, for cabin dwellers, small boats and kayaks alike. The shape of the headland caters to a good spot for bathing and fishing. There was a small cabin on the site which precedes the 'crab shack' by 60 years.'

He continues: 'When placing the new cabin on site, it was important to nestle it gently in between the rocky landscape letting the shape of the headland and its main feature continue to play the leading role. Together with the rocky knolls, the cabin creates good outdoor spaces to shelter from the wind, rain, and sun.'

The modest cabin may be boutique, but it comfortably houses Engesvik, his partner Jannicke Grung and their family of five. It contains an open plan living room, including the kitchen, a large bedroom and a bathroom. 

A restrained outdoors space ensures the structure sits lightly on its rocky plot and allows residents to directly connect with nature as soon as they step out. Meanwhile, it also acts as a discreet wooden shed, placed as it is nearby the water, serving as storage for their fishing gear.

kimaarkitektur.no 

Anyone picking up Thames & Hudson’s new semi auto-biographical book Cabin will undoubtedly be looking for vicarious thrills about off-the-grid living and the tantalising idea of being able to step away from the world. Cabin is the work of Will Jones, a journalist and author who gave up life in London to live the quiet life in rural Canada with his family.

‘Cabin’: inspiring off-the-grid living

The subtitle, ‘How to Build a Retreat in the Wilderness and Learn to Live With Nature’, gives you some idea of what to expect: this is part how-to, part personal journey, part survey and musing on the ongoing hunger for cabin living. The latter chapters are threaded through the main narrative, which charts Jones and his family’s search for a site and the process of design and construction. The cabin occupies a very particular spot in modern culture, a symbol of escape and retreat from the modern world that is nevertheless disseminated and distributed endlessly over social media. 

Jones provides us with a fascinating insight into the history of cabins around the world, their origins and construction, their use of local materials, and the tools used to build them. Images of these historic and vernacular examples are interspersed with specially commission illustrations by Sarah Obtinalla. 

It’s a tiny minority of people who manage to live their best life in a remote and basic cabin; the majority of us are happy to dreamscroll at our desks. Cabin gives another, deeper insight into the often harsh realities of cabin living, one that’ll invigorate but hardly deter the dreamers. 

Cabin: How to Build a Retreat in the Wilderness and Learn to Live With Nature, Thames & Hudson, £20, is released on 24 August 2023

ThamesandHudson.com

Also available from amazon.co.uk

When it comes to travelling around the United States, few things feel more American than pitching up in a holiday cabin. A slew of new hotels around the country appear to have heard the call, while bringing nostalgic design tropes up to date and paying close attention to the creature comforts today’s travellers are used to. From seaside to countryside, here are some recommendations to take note of.

Holiday cabins across the USA

Dawn Ranch, Guerneville, CA

Located about two hours outside of San Francisco, the bohemian enclave of Guerneville in California’s Sonoma county has been a treasured retreat for decades. Encircled by towering ancient redwoods and located alongside the Russian River, Dawn Ranch is a storied retreat that was a miners lodge in its earliest days. Available for occupancy since the 1900s, it has recently been carefully brought back to life, following a devastating flood in 2019. 

Designed by Bridgeton Studio, in collaboration with designers Brian Smith and Whitney Clark, the hotel’s new incarnation showcases 81 renovated cabins and cottages that are rustic and modern at the same time. Built over the years, each refreshed cabin was already existing on the property, with three in particular, dating back to the hotel’s origins. Updated with sleek green tiles in the bathroom, custom wood furnishings by Oxford Street Company, unlacquered brass accents, double-sided gas fireplaces by Ortal and amenities by Le Labo, each of the serene spaces possesses an heirloom, yet indulgent feel, with portable safari chairs, picnic baskets and infrared mats by Higher Dose all in easy reach.

dawnranch.com

The Pridwin, Shelter Island, NY

The Pridwin has bottled up the clean-scrubbed charm of the American northeast coast and placed it against the scenic, waterfront views of Shelter Island. Fully reopened this year following two years of extensive renovations, the resort, which was built in 1927 and family-run since 1961, is now collaboratively managed by Cape Resorts, who reimagined the property by fusing together a playful nostalgia and modern sensibility. 

In addition to 33 rooms in the main house, the hotel now boasts 16 private cottages scattered over seven acres of restored shoreline that overlook Crescent Beach. Ranging from studios to two-bedroom duplex configurations, these spacious cottages have been nestled into the property’s hillside and are equipped with individualised features, ranging from kitchenettes and wood-burning fireplaces to private decks with sweeping views of the water. 

Like the rest of the hotel, Colleen Bashaw, Cape Resorts’ vice president of design, deployed a design concept that lovingly embraces the classic and the new. From a whimsical approach to colour to the embrace of cinematic touches, such as vibrantly printed upholstery, vintage tchotchkes, cane furniture and creative, unexpected twists (guests are invited to feed the hens in the chicken coop where fresh eggs are collected each morning), The Pridwin fuses together the feel of a classic seaside resort with an elevated, summer camp-like atmosphere.  

caperesorts.com/pridwin

Inness, Accord, NY 

Inness, the elegant enclave conceived by a group of designers and developers who would regularly escape the clutches of New York City to seek refuge in the Hudson Valley, makes the most of its 220 acres with 40 hotel rooms, made up of 28 cabins and a 12-room farmhouse. Beautifully designed by Post Company (part of our Wallpaper* USA 300 list), the property is a poetic blend of restrained details that still exudes warmth and hospitality around each perfectly composed corner. With most of the rooms showcasing dramatic mountain views, the interiors feature custom-designed furniture by Post Company, made by Roll & Hill, Belgian linens and an eclectic curation of found objects and art that together harks back to a simpler time of artisanal craftsmanship in the region.

The cabins here are minimally appointed with elegant plaster walls, portrait windows, wood burning stoves, private decks and enough space to gather alone or with other friends on property.  Available in king, grand king and two-bedroom formats, these private retreats have been designed to foster lingering and introspection. An epic wellness building that will house a spa, gym, and a space for movement and yoga classes is currently underway and set to debut in 2024.

inness.co

Wildflower Farms Auberge, Gardiner, NY 

Auberge Resorts’ Wildflower Farms goes against expectations with its contemporary take on traditional barn and farmhouse typologies. Its eye-catching architecture is by Electric Bowery, a design firm founded by Cayley Lambur and Lucia Bartholomew, who met when working for Frank Gehry. Constructed to frame the surrounding landscape and nestled into the site, Wildflower Farms’ undulating composition fosters a direct connection to nature that is also echoed in its material palette. Here, the resort’s cabins and cottages articulate its village feel, springing out of the whole but maintaining the property’s overall design language. 

Designed to blend into the surroundings, each of the 60 cabins and cottages merge the indoors and the outdoors, with sweeping floor-to-ceiling windows, private patios, views of the wildflower meadows and equally alluring interiors by Ward and Gray. Available in a sprawling two king bedroom layout, or cosier formats that also boast private gardens and terrace daybeds, Wildflower Farms takes cabin dwelling to a luxe, new level. 

aubergeresorts.com/wildflower-farms

The Wanderer, Kennebunk, ME

The Wanderer in Kennebunk, Maine is a 17-strong collection of cottages and houses, located along the Maine coast. Stylishly appointed with both pool and beach located in arm’s reach, The Wanderer makes it easy for visitors to get out and explore the natural beauty of the Maine coast, with cruiser bikes and complimentary breakfast treat bags at the ready. 

Paying homage to its former iteration, The Wanderer has been designed by Mark Cotto, creative director of Atlantic Hospitality. All the cottages combine the ethos of a laid-back surf lodge with traditional New England touches, such as exposed wood walls, shiplap, brass lighting and vaulted ceilings. Bamboo, jute and rattan bestow a rustic charm, while vintage bamboo tortoise nightstands and custom-designed rope-wrapped surfboards capture the imagination. Intended to help guests unplug and focus on having fun, the cottages do not feature workstations. Configured as studios or one-bedrooms, a number of them do accommodate dogs so that trusted companions can also enjoy the great outdoors. 

wanderercottages.com

Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, AZ

Originally built in 1929, the Arizona Biltmore has been considered one of the go-to resorts since Hollywood’s golden age. Now managed by Waldorf Astoria, it recently unveiled a property-wide refresh, overseen by Virserius Studio and PHX Architecture, with rooms designed by Wimberly Interiors. Tucked amongst 39 acres of desert, the luxurious oasis, which is filled with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired touches, is set against dramatic views of Piestewa Peak (in fact, Wright was a consulting architect on the project, which was designed by a protegee, Albert Chase McArthur.) 

The property has seven pools, which include the brand-new adults-only Saguaro Pool and the revamped Paradise Pool for families, featuring a new 65ft triple waterslide, new dining options, a spa and solar garden armed with 12 treatment rooms, and new cottages that combine old world glamour and high desert style. Like elsewhere on property, they feature ‘Biltmore Blocks’ - bricks created from desert sand onsite and designed by MacArthur and Wright with interlocking lines, of which 6,000 were repaired, replaced and restored during the renovation, and surrounded by native cacti and flora. Finished with organic textiles, wood accents and stuccoed walls, each cottage has its own fire pit and private terrace where guests can lounge the days and nights away.

arizonabiltmore.com

Canoe Place, Hampton Bays, NY

In its glory days, Canoe Place Inn was a favourite amongst Hollywood royalty, presidents and politicians alike. From Lucille Ball and Albert Einstein to Teddy and Eleanor Roosevelt and John D. Rockefeller, such was the calibre of guests who would often stop in Hamptons Bay, which lovingly was known as ‘the first stop out East.’ Esteemed clientele aside, the property has been recently updated with interior design by Workstead, who re-envisioned it as a garden by the sea. Encompassing a three-storey main building, a restaurant that spans both the indoors and outdoors, a window-wrapped event pavilion as well as five guest cottages situated on the property’s north and west, the well-sized property boasts a deep rooted design legacy, including colonial-style architecture by the American architect William Bottomley around 1921, which Workstead primarily drew inspiration from.

Rather than a cosy cabin, Canoe Place’s five one to four-bedroom cottages lavishly blend the comfort and intimacy of a family home with the amenities of a waterfront resort. Tucked on the hillside behind the main inn, each cottage is a colourful melange of bright tones and patterned textiles. Large windows fill each room with natural light while a curated selection of antique, vintage and contemporary furnishings create alluring points of interest wherever the eye may turn. Each equipped with its own electric fireplace, outdoor fire pit, private patio and bath and body products by Costa Brazil, these cottages make it easy to spread out.

canoeplace.com

York Beach Surf Club, York, ME 

Originally founded in 1963 as an organisation for local surfers, the York Beach Surf Club welcomed a new incarnation in the hands of Taylor Perkins, the son of the club’s original founder Sonny Perkins, a surfer who was pivotal in the overall emergence of East Coast surf culture. Teamed with a minimalist, Scandinavian aesthetic that still nods to the spirit of Maine’s traditional coastal architecture, the new York Beach Surf Club encompasses 52 rooms and cottages located around a heated saltwater pool and pool bar, an oceanfront lawn and an oyster and cocktail bar of its own called The Rolling Pearl.

In the bungalows, many of them turn-of-the-century cabins that have been restored, outdoor living rooms, full bathrooms, modern kitchens and vaulted ceilings make them hard to leave. Designed by The Surf Company, each cabin’s clean, crisp interiors are more akin to city living than for catching the waves.

yorkbeachsurfclub.com

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. 

naturalmat.co.uk 

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. 

corstorphine-wright.com 

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. 

volvic.com 

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. 

inclume.co.uk 

Swift is an off-grid cabin, a remote family retreat tucked into the treeline on an idyllic site in south-west Washington State in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. Designed by Portland-based Ment Architecture, the 1,500 sq ft structure has been carefully sited to preserve existing trees and avoid any potentially unstable land on the clifftop site. The house is set back from the cliff edge, with a large deck reaching out into the view.

An off-grid cabin with a view

Down below lies a reservoir and there are distant views of Mount St Helens, the active volcano that erupted with such devasting consequences in 1980. The new cabin is set on a sloping site, with an entrance at ground-floor level and stairs leading up to the first-floor living area, all set beneath a large mono-pitched roof.

The roof area is festooned with solar panels, enabling the residence to be completely off-grid; they provide power for the main cabin as well as a separate sauna building and a boat garage. Inside, the hefty structural Douglas fir glulam beams, wooden flooring, white walls and charred-wood cladding create a strong juxtaposition with the surrounding forest.

Careful window placement frames the views, while the deck can be opened up to the living room via a large sliding door. At the other end of the linear plan, a small balcony doubles up as a cantilevered roof above the front door. Solid concrete foundations ground the building within the otherwise unaltered site – there are no formal gardens or planting.

Swift Cabin is just an hour and a half from Portland, but the transformation from city to country is substantial. 

Ment Architecture was founded in the city in 2022 by Adam Lawler and Solomon Berg. Lawler, who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and Berg, who spent his childhood in Northern California, bring a strong affinity to nature to their work, as well as experience with wooden construction. Their new studio is focused exclusively on residential design.

MentArchitecture.com

The Bolder project – kick-started in 2020 and created by Norwegian architects Snøhetta, design brand Vipp, and local property developer Tom Bjarte Norland – comprises four luxury off-grid cabins, overlooking Lysefjord on Norway’s west coast and available for holidays. 

Snøhetta’s Bolder project is enveloped in its landscape

Each cabin appears suspended in nature, its creators taking care to minimise its footprint on the local landscape. The structures are supported by concrete pillars, which lift them above the ground and maximise panoramic views. Glass façades expose the pod-like rooms to the outdoors. Snøhetta architect Frank Denis Foray explains that ‘the goal was to create a total experience for the visitors’, while offering protection from the extreme outdoors, the idea of ‘coming back to a cosy, warm wooden nest with a spectacular panoramic view’.

Reflecting its surroundings, the project uses materials that were cleared from the site prior to construction; granite from the ground is used as aggregate, built into the concrete pillars, and timber from the area has been used in its construction. The cabins’ exterior is in red cedar, chosen for its naturally greying quality, which in time will allow it to blend more seamlessly into the landscape. Inside, oak lines the cabins, with the wood from each treated slightly differently, resulting in a distinctive feel for each space. 

The cabins’ asymmetrical forms work with their varying height to give an illusion of tilting slightly over the fjord, and the Vipp-designed interiors draw in the natural landscape, blurring the line between indoors and out. The design teams have used clean surfaces and simple forms to expand the feeling of the cabins. Three of Snøhetta’s new cabins (which they call Stylten, Myra and Stjerna) offer around 38 sq m, while a fourth (Eldhuset) will provide 60 sq m and is expected to open in spring 2023. 

snohetta.com

thebolder.no 

CCY Architects has just completed a new, idyllic Colorado Rockies retreat. DNA Alpine, as the snowy project is called, was designed for a client who likes secluded getaways, and a place among nature where they can gather and spend time with extended family and friends. Located in San Miguel County, the home sits in a plot the owners were familiar with, as they often travel to this part of West Colorado to take part in outdoor activities, such as hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. 

Colorado Rockies retreat: DNA Alpine by CCY Architects

'The clients have owned the land for many years,' the architects write. 'They had long camped on site for overnight stays, but, over time, they wanted a more permanent dwelling, but one that conserved the landscape.' The design team obliged, assessing the land, its natural terrain and existing flora and fauna, in order to create a new dwelling in a respectful way, minimising its footprint and remaining in sync with its wooded surroundings. 

By cleverly creating a series of multifunctional spaces – for instance, open-plan living interiors, and a study that doubles as a guest room – CCY Architects composed a home within three distinct volumes. These contain, respectively, a main house, a sauna, and the garage. This gesture allowed for flexibility in the programme's arrangement and the creation of a series of smaller structures – as opposed to one big one – which could easily fit between existing spruce trees. 

At the same time, the cosy and adaptable interiors are made to provide the perfect alpine experience – featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that not only maximise solar exposure to help energy savings, but also offer sweeping views of nearby peaks and the San Juan Mountains in the distance. 

Hard-wearing, vertical panels of copper, which will weather beautifully over time, clad the exterior of this Colorado Rockies retreat. These give way to warmer surfaces and natural materials inside, including timber, stone and a range of fabrics. Meanwhile, a clever design code in the outer skin is a nod to the clients' personal interests. 'The design team drew from the clients’ interest in synthetic biology, adapting the pattern produced by the DNA sequence of Engelmann spruce to inform the order of the panels. In this way, the genetic material of a tree species so important to this site creates the framework for the placement, angle, and size of the façade’s panels,' the architects explain. 

ccyarchitects.com 

The Hat House, Tina Bergman Architects' latest residential project, is an idyllic forest retreat seemingly coming straight out of the land of fairy tales, and tucked away in the woods near Tänndalen in west Sweden. The London-based, Sweden-born architect conceived this compact piece of cabin architecture for a family of five, their dog, and their many occasional guests. 

The Hat House by Tina Bergman Architects

The project had to follow local planning regulations, which stipulated that nothing above 100 sq m can be built in the region – therefore, it was doubly important for the team to find the perfect spot to place the cabin, in order to maximise views, sense of space inside, and minimise its impact to the environment. 'I travelled to the site with my clients on an unusually warm weekend at the end of May: met with that intense green of newly sprung birch leaves and a near complete silence, our aim was to find a spot to place the building,' Bergman writes. 'We found it soon: a naturally formed clearing, withdrawn from the forest road, with views to the mountains and a lake to the south and west, and with yellow orchids growing in the east.'

Made out of timber, the retreat resembles in form the home from a Swedish fairy tale about three children living in a hat – lending the house its name. At the same time, the structure takes its material cues from its natural environment, featuring a spruce floor, beautifully weathered Kebony pine heart cladding, with a glulam and softwood overall framework construction. Large windows further perfect this synergy between land and architecture. 'It is a house intensely following the seasons of the year; the blue faint light of midwinter, the bursting green of new summer, the misty yellows of the autumn mountains,' said Bergman. 

tinabergman.com 

‘A House’ is idyllically placed among the wooded expanses of Lilla Kilskäret, an island of the Swedish archipelago outside the capital of Stockholm. This small architectural cabin, a piece of Nordic minimalist architecture, is the work of emerging practice studio nāv, and it was especially conceived as a summer home for a young couple.

‘A House’ by studio nāv

Building in such a pristine, natural location sounds like an architect's – and client’s – dream, but it didn't come without its issues. 'Due to a challenging site and local building regulations, the house needed to have a small footprint and blend in with the landscape,' the team, led by studio founders Carl Fransson and Thomas Paltiel, explain. 

As a result, the interior is a clever, flexible, open-plan space. A single, open room, wrapped in swathes of glass that make it at one with its green environment, contains the pared-down living space and bedroom area. Glulam framework ensures the construction was fast and easy, while its timber nature, alongside similar interior surfaces, defines the architects' overall organic material approach that matches the verdant surroundings. 

The home has three glass sides with openings that can be drawn back to unite interior and exterior, and one opaque one. However, the architects made sure residents can, at the same time, feel comfortable and protected inside their minimalist cabin. 'To provide privacy, a large drapery was added to the interior. This drapery runs the length of three façades and can completely seal the building off. In addition, a black detachable mesh was mounted on the exterior, making the house less visible from the water,' the team write. 

studio-nav.com 

The Nature Villa KÄBI is an ultra-compact hotel, set in the grounds of a 15th-century manor house in the Estonian town of Maidla, about 50km south of Tallinn. Designed by architects Mari Hunt and Arvi Anderson of b210 Architects, the 38 sq m Estonian cabin combines traditional timber construction with an unconventional geometry.

KÄBI: a modern Estonian cabin

Set deep in a birch forest, the contemporary cabin is named ‘KÄBI’ after the Estonian word for conifer cone. The Tallinn-based studio describe the structure as a ‘pocket of warmth’ in the chilly northern climate, and the layered timber siding gives off a warm and welcoming vibe.

This construction technique dates back many centuries, and the opportunity to use it on the interior and exterior walls not only gives the structure its conifer cone-like looks but is a climate-friendly choice of material. ‘All 7,500 tiles used on the walls of KÄBI were custom-made specially for this house by a local timber detail company – we want the house to be a bit of a celebration of the local craftsmanship and building tradition,’ says Hunt. 

The plan is rectangular, with functional elements housed in seven square structures set at 45 degrees to the main space. It’s a bold geometric approach that evokes the eclecticism of post-war East European modernism, creating a dynamic and intriguing interior. It also references the work and ethos of the late Estonian designer Bruno Tomberg.

Designed for occupation by one person or a couple, the room is set deep in the woods, away from other buildings. Leaf cover gives more privacy in the summer months, but the beauty of the snowy forest and far-reaching views gives winter visits a different character.

The external decks and steps are set at 45 degrees to the main space, with large spans of glazing set between the timber-clad boxes housing the functions. The toilet and shower each have their own, top-lit spaces, while there is also a large storage area and a stove. The bed is aligned to this off-set grid, set before a huge window overlooking the forest.

At the far end of the space, a small glass-walled terrace leads to a circular sauna for bathing in the heart of the woods. The entire structure touches the ground lightly on structural columns, sensitively slotted into its site.

The new cabin is one of three architect-designed structures on the Maidla Nature Resort site and was recently nominated for an Estonian Architecture Awards. 

b210.ee

MaidlaResort.com

The Glass Cabin – a radical internal reconfiguration of a 130-year-old cottage – confounds expectations. Czech architecture practice Mjölk, founded by Jan Mach and Jan Vondrák, has combined existing materials and techniques with radical new interventions.

The cabin project is located outside the small town of Polubný, in the heart of the Jizera Mountains east of Liberec, close to the Polish border. The architects replaced an existing annex with a ‘glass mass’, set above a heavy poured concrete foundation. This space becomes a kitchen and family room, with a rich mix of reflective bronze and brass juxtaposed with poured concrete floors and banquettes, leather upholstery, timber joinery, and the rough-hewn walls of the original cottage.

The Glass Cabin renders the traditional contemporary

The kitchen is spread across two levels, with a dining area set in the wood-clad heart of the original structure, alongside a smooth, ceramic-encased stove by Dutch company Dtile that forms the warm heart of the house. Such nods to traditional vernacular architecture are rendered in an unashamedly modern fashion, with original beams and boards left exposed and celebrated. ‘The contrast and harmony between the classical room and the new extension are what our architectural game was all about.’

The cottage was completely restored, with new structure where necessary, alongside a new shingle roof and Nordic larch cladding. The new extension has vast frameless windows that bring the surrounding wooden landscape into the space. The kitchen and furniture are by Czech company Sollus, while the architects designed many of the individual light fittings, all of which were then made of brass by the Dekorax metal-printing workshop.

The juxtaposition works wonders, especially as the innocuous façade looks much like the other cabins that scatter this landscape. The structure has seen a substantial amount of social and political upheaval in its lifetime, and part of Mjölk’s process was to celebrate the enduring connectivity it has with nature, despite the pace of change. ‘It was essential that we didn't strip the cabin of its intangible soul, the fragrance of the timber and the stark chill of the granite blocks. We kept what we could.’

The Glass Cabin certainly revels in its juxtapositions. Upstairs, past a circular, globe-like skylight that illuminates the landing, are four bedrooms, tucked into the steeply sloping eaves of the original roof with panelled walls painted rich red. These are atmospheric, moody spaces, with a rich wood scent and an ambience that has been essentially unchanged since the cabin was originally built. The works also included the construction of a low-key sauna building alongside the cottage.

‘We didn't want to forcefully place pieces of global design into the house,’ the architects say. ‘Most of the new equipment consists of original furniture and accessories that we designed ourselves. They reflect the quality of the handmade work of the craftsmen from the Jizera Mountains who still live and work here. The new pieces are complemented with old furniture lovingly selected by the clients themselves.’

Mach and Vondrák set up their studio in 2008, following their studies at the Faculty of Art and Architecture in Liberec. The firm’s name, Mjölk, means ‘milk’ in Swedish – ‘the most beautiful word in the Swedish dictionary, according to the duo. The practice has a very hands-on approach, with an emphasis on a strong expression of materiality. 

‘Pictures are worthless,’ they say. ‘We need to create buildings we have dreamt up with clients. That is why every project we touch matters to us.’ In the Glass Cabin, old and new are blended together, creating a series of spaces that gives the clients a chance to time travel in just a few steps.

Mjölk Architekti, mjolk.cz

Polestar has always pushed for an agenda outside that of familiar four-wheeled transportation. Recently awarded a Wallpaper* Smart Space Award 2022 for its striking retail concepts, the company also partnered with Cake, Konstantin Grcic, and Hydro to explore the future of urban deliveries.

That’s not to say its cars aren’t intriguing as well. The Polestar 2 has received great acclaim, while the 2020 Polestar Precept Concept and 2022 Polestar O₂ Concept both herald striking next-generation production cars. 

Now the company invites you to immerse yourself in nature in a whole new way, in comfort and safety, in a space that echoes Polestar’s stunning design aesthetics. ‘Koja’ is a Swedish word for a hut; it’s also the name of this minimalistic, ecological treehouse located in the woods on the edge of Fiskars Village, the burgeoning art and craft community one hour’s drive west from Helsinki. 

Koja was designed by Finnish native Kristian Talvitie, a master’s degree student majoring in transportation design, and was awarded an honourable mention for the 2021 Polestar Design Contest themed ‘Progress’ – you can see the original renders here. 

For Polestar, Talvitie’s concept was too beautiful to stay digital. It had to be made real. The result is an end-to-end immersive ecological journey and overnight stay that can be achieved with a short, all-electric journey in a Polestar 2.

Polestar asked Ultra Design & Strategy, the Helsinki-based agency where the designer had been working, to bring the vision to reality. All parts of Koja were produced locally in Salo, a town only 30 miles (50 km) away. 

In Fiskars Village, Polestar Koja’s guests can enjoy locally harvested, foraged, and crafted meals, beverages, beers and spirits at the restaurants, cafés and brewery, as well as hike the 2.5-mile (4 km) Rissla Forest Trail and rent a mountain bike to explore a number of local trails. There are also art galleries, boutiques and workshops run by the artists who live and work there.

But doesn’t telling people to ‘travel less’ contradict the very action Polestar wants to encourage people to do? Martin Österberg, Polestar Finland’s head of marketing, explains, ‘One does not need to go across borders to see or experience things. Koja provides a solution for positive change through local travel and discovery.’ 

Polestar is deeply committed to sustainable design and the circular economy. It makes its products’ life cycle assessment (LCA) available to consumers and hopes to set standards that others who want to make similar claims can follow. 

Polestar 2’s raw materials, such as different types of aluminium, are kept separate in the production phase so that each type of aluminium component can be melted and reused afterwards. Batteries are built with repairable modules. A failed part can be fixed without wasting a whole battery. 

With every incremental innovation in every aspect of production, the company aims to build a car that is carbon neutral by 2030 — the project dubbed ‘Polestar 0’. Polestar’s customers are already carbon footprint-conscious, having made the decision to drive high-performance electric cars. Driving less is a logical next step. 

From a distance, Koja gives off a high-tech air, thanks to its black exterior, futuristic shape and smooth surfaces. However, it is built entirely with locally sourced spruce in the form of CLT (cross-laminated timbers, which are green and sustainable materials). The only exceptions are the curved Plexiglas windows, textiles used for interiors, and two iron triangle beams attached to the tree.

Getting close, faint grains become visible and the warmth of the wood is felt.  

When you step out of your Polestar and into Koja, you’ll experience a continuous aesthetic, from the design to the materials.

Two full-size foldable beds are strapped to the walls, using the special edition gold seat belts from Polestar 2’s Performance pack. The treehouse is perched at a high level, giving you a completely new perspective of the lush Finnish forest. 

The circular structure envelops the tree, implying a harmonious relationship with nature; you can even hug the exposed trunk at the heart of the interior. Koja is not a one of a kind, custom-made treehouse, but a ‘product’ that can be replicated, as long as the right size and types of tree are available.

The idea is that the unit forms an inclusive and economical way to experience luxury in the wilderness. The Polestar Koja journey is not about travelling to the other side of the earth to see the world’s highest mountain peak. It is about reimagining how we live and experience more with less. 

Early one autumn morning, I was lucky enough to walk from my Polestar 2, along a gravel path beneath the shadows of the tree canopy. I climbed the steep stairs and unlocked the door to Koja. Shafts of warm sunlight were pouring horizontally into the transparent space bubble.

Once inside, the tree branches and leaves reflected light shafts and shadows that danced all around me. All was quiet as I felt like I was floating in the air. And I was able to hug a tree.

INFORMATION

Polestar.com

Inside Tigín Tiny Homes

There have been lots of micro housing concepts created over the years to fight surging house and rental prices, yet most tend to disappear from the ether almost as soon as they emerge. Enter Tígín Tiny Homes, mobile small homes or cabins that don't pretend to be a future housing solution for all of us, but that are also refreshingly thoughtfully designed and gimmick-free.

The creators, an Irish social enterprise called Common Knowledge (tigín is Gaelic for a small house or cottage), have ensured the design has the same sort of specifications as a home extension or garden flat and that information about the eco-conscious and, in some cases, pioneering building materials and techniques used to build the home are freely accessible to all. That way, anyone thinking of embarking on a self-build or with access to land can make their own Tiny Home, or gain inspiration from it.

Inside Tigín Tiny Homes

‘We haven’t created these Tiny Homes as a new product,’ explains Fionn Kidney, co-founder and director of Common Knowledge. ‘We’ve actually only made four, but we have taught more than 250 people to build them on their own by involving them in the construction process during our Build Schools.’

The project is also about showcasing sustainable, quality materials that the team strongly believe should be more widely used.

These Tiny Homes are different in another way too. Though their footprint is small (20 sq m), they have tall ceilings (3.6m in the kitchen and living room areas), which, combined with oversized glazing, provide a constant connection to nature or views, while giving the sensation of more space. The homes also have clever storage solutions and use innovative or natural materials such as hemp corrugated panels and natural rubber linoleum floor tiles, in part to meet their own self-imposed low-emissions construction targets but also to keep the weight of the trailer down.

‘By choosing materials like natural cork insulation, planed dimensional lumber and marine-grade plywood, we were able to make our structural elements of the building also be our finishing touches,’ explains Harrison Gardner, who is behind the design and construction of the Tigín Tiny Homes. ‘Hardwood countertops and custom couches were made possible by us not wasting any of our weight allocation in plasterboard finishes.’

One area the team found hard to keep lightweight was the external cladding. The contemporary modern finishes of concrete board were too heavy, while all the affordable timber options also pushed them over the limit. In the end, they opted for hemp cladding, a natural alternative to corrugated steel, grown and supplied by Margent Farm in Cambridgeshire, England.

‘It was almost half the weight of some of our other options, was grown relatively locally (as far as cladding sources go) and is made of an extremely sustainable, carbon-negative material,’ says Gardner.

The Common Knowledge team are honest about how their micro homes will be used. ‘We see the Tiny Homes as the potential first step for many onto the housing ladder and believe they will suit certain people and certain stages of their lives,’ says Gardner. ‘Individuals or couples craving independence but not yet able to afford their forever home will find the Tigín to be a comfortable housing solution for several years, somewhere they can live rent-free and save towards the home of their future.’

When residents are able to graduate to their forever homes, the idea is they will take some of the Tiny Homes’ material palette and building know-how with them.

INFORMATION

ourcommonknowledge.org

If the pandemic has got you dreaming of the green countryside, secluded cabins and a poised, neat minimalist life, The Bide might be just the thing for you. This architectural Dorset cabin is a labour of love of a pair of design enthusiasts – one an architect, of London-based studio LAMA, and the other working for Nordic design brand Åben. The pair joined forces and brought together their expertise to build, almost entirely by hand during one of the recent lockdowns, this charming getaway – a rural escape with an architectural twist. 

The cabin was designed for themselves, as a private retreat, which can also be used on occasion as a rental. Handling the design, product sourcing and construction together, the couple ensured that their project employed principles of sustainable architecture, such as using local materials and eco-friendly building techniques. For example, The Bide is designed using the WikiHouse system, with a wooden frame cut by CNC and bolted together by hand. Low-carbon materials used include sheep’s wool and woodfibre insulation. There is a Separett waterless toilet from Sweden, a decentralised MVHR system, and a Nebia vaporised water shower that ‘uses 40 per cent less water than a regular shower’.

Dorset cabin where sustainability meets style

‘Sustainability is at the heart of The Bide,’ say its creators. ‘[It is] fashioned in a contemporary architectural style and constructed with sustainable, eco-friendly building practices. An inviting cosy space [in which to] enjoy restorative views and long lie-ins in a luxurious super-king size bed.’

The Bide’s location is as crucial to the experience as its architecture and interiors. Set within a working farm, this architectural Dorset cabin has a dramatic picture window that frames the idyllic green expanses beyond. At the same time, the quaint cob and thatched cottages of nearby Milton Abbas village add to the atmosphere and contrast beautifully with the sharp, contemporary design of this boutique home. The cabin’s muted red exterior catches the eye, without stealing the limelight, making it easy to spot among the region’s gentle hills. 

INFORMATION

thebide.com

Nestled within a forest outside Marseille in the south of France, the Pine Nut Cabane by Daab Design could hardly feel more idyllic. The project, a private commission created in collaboration with French cabin company Moustache, is an eco retreat made using natural materials and refreshing simplicity that produced a fine example of enticing, minimalist architecture. 

‘As a practice we are well accustomed to working in different countries and within heritage or material constraints. At the Pine Nut Cabane, our design needed to work with the natural elements at the very special and sentimental site,' says Daab Design director Anais Blehaut. ‘We worked closely with our project partners, Moustache, and our clients to incorporate natural materials and design interventions that would really celebrate and enhance the location and views.’

The small but perfectly formed cabin – linked to a larger farmhouse in the same estate – was conceived as a little getaway for a multigenerational, international family, to be used as a rural escape, an artist’s studio or flexible guest space, depending on the needs and time of the year. The architects went for a fairly simple volume, with an outline that references the local farming vernacular in an abstract, minimalist way. Clever orientation means a generous terrace facing the east makes the most of light and sweeping valley views. 

Inside, the interiors remain simple and pared down, using plywood and matte black finishes. Meanwhile, a polished concrete floor and a ‘cave-like shower nook of light terracotta zellige tiles’ help anchor the structure to its site. Sustainable strategies include natural cross-ventilation and passive cooling, clever insulation to keep indoor temperatures steady, and the use of local contractors and materials. 

‘We have a large and now internationally spread out family, so family gatherings have become all the more important to us. Daab Design has used the project as a way to memorialise a special location on our property, for which we are grateful,’ say the clients. ‘The new cabin gives us much-needed space to relax and rest when we all get together, and space for our independent art practices.’

A surrounding landscape using native plants and local limestone, created by Tamaris Design, ensures this little French cabin feels naturally embedded in its green setting of rolling hills and mature trees.

INFORMATION
daabdesign.co.uk

A writer’s cabin in the north of Madrid is a striking bolthole for a children’s book author. The small home office, created by Barcelona-based MuDD Architects, uses a combination of digital fabrication and skilled building work for a curving sanctuary in the Sierra countryside.

With temperatures reaching lows of -20 degrees in winter, the design accommodated the challenges of the area’s climate. ‘We wanted to achieve a very transparent building while still offering some comfort in winter,’ explains MuDD Architects founder Stephanie Chaltiel. ‘To do so, thick 20cm stone wool insulation was used in between the wooden structure, while a hung chiminea placed in the middle heats the cabin.’ A rich mix of woods adds to the ambience, with different tones of maple syrup finishings in the wood a warm juxtaposition to the locally sourced pine of the bookshelves.

The curves of the bookshelves follow the sloping line of the roof, forming a sculptural wave against the clean lines of the cabin itself. A complex process, it required the precision which comes with computer-aided design. ‘With this project, there was the opportunity for us to highlight the possibility of using digital fabrication for everyday use,’ says Chaltiel, avoiding the complexity and expense usually present in parametric design. ‘The CNC cut vertical and horizontal doubly curved parts of the bookshelves and had a 0% imprecision tolerance while being drawn in 3D, but were difficult to mount on site,’ she adds. The pieces were then assembled like a jigsaw puzzle, held together by the friction of the wood.

The wood is a warm foil both for the glass and also the folded oxidized iron of the roof, a living material with a colour dependent on the levels of oxidation. The restrained cut of the slender oxidised iron frame of the main façade ensures a seamless transition to the vibrant garden outside. ‘The idea was to create a game of forces, where heavy elements look like they're held in equilibrium, stressed by the cast hung iron chiminea and the pale bookshelves inspired by horses captured in the midst of their frenetic race,’ says Chaltiel. ‘This project came a few months after the author almost lost her life during the pandemic crisis. The writer’s cabin is an architectural symphony of her being alive and being able to create in this unique new built home.

Information

muddarchitects.com

The Halfway Hill House is a new Newfoundland structure, modest in scale but offering a cinematic overview of its surroundings. Designed by Chris Woodford of local studio Woodford Architecture, this contemporary cabin packs a lot into just 950 square feet.

With far-reaching views across the Bonavista Peninsula and Trinity Bay on the North Atlantic Coast, the compact building is also intended to be as sustainable and energy efficient as possible. The open plan living space takes up the entire top floor, set beneath a steep asymmetrical pitched roof. A full-width deck opens off this space, looking across the Bay to the nearby small communities of Champney’s West, Port Rexton and Trinity.

The house contains two double bedrooms on the entrance level, reached by a raised walkway and wraparound deck, accessed from each bedroom. A large storage shed, finished in the same dark soot pine cladding as the main house, doubles up as a windbreak to shield the front door from the region’s strong winds. The resulting covered porch is angled to frame a view straight ahead across Trinity Bay to Fox Island. The house feels truly immersed in the landscape; from the cedar wood deck on the upper level, one can see all the way to the historic lighthouse at Fort Point, dating back to 1871. 

The wooded site makes for a dramatic backdrop, and the house stands silhouetted against the sky and the jagged treeline. The form provides a subtle tweak on the conventional domestic archetype with its dark wooden cladding, frameless double-glazed windows, and charcoal-coloured metal roof that seals the whole unit into a solid, monolithic composition. Inside, finishes have been kept spartan and low-key. The white painted spruce boarding that covers the walls and ceilings was locally sourced, as was the natural black stained spruce flooring. The birch plywood used to make the custom kitchen was also local, with light grey tiles used on the lower floor bathroom and foyer. 

The house was originally designed as a retirement retreat for a couple from Toronto with family roots in the area. By the time the project was completed, it was clear this would be a perfect full-time house and it has now become their primary residence.

INFORMATION

woodfordarchitecture.ca

This micro-house by Bergen-based practice Saunders Arkitektur addresses every contemporary obsessions head on. The XS Minihus is a finely detailed cabin designed to be manufactured off-site, shipped in and set up as a self-contained retreat. Temporarily installed on the docks in Bergen, the project encapsulates Todd Saunders’ approach, combining hand-crafted timber and simple finishes with careful spatial planning and striking geometric forms. 

The 12 sq m triangular terrace protrudes out of the structure like an arrow. At the same time, the external cladding marries meticulous joints and details with a modernist simplicity. This micro-house is just itching to be dropped into a rural site, preferably somewhere forested and bucolic alongside a fjord. 

The tiny footprint (the 24 sq m micro-house fits within a 5m square plot) is paired with complete space efficiency. The fold-down Murphy bed can be hidden out of sight during the day, while the interior is festooned with open shelving for books, kitchen implements and even clothes.

There’s scope to expand the kitchen appliances to cater for more serious cooks. The washroom is tucked away behind the bedhead, while a reading nook is set on a platform beneath the peak of the roof, accessible by ladder. The house has integral rainwater collection systems, a composting toilet and solar panels for power, meaning it can be 100% off-the-grid. 

Norway is a country with a well-established cabin culture. One of Saunders’ first ever built projects, completed shortly after moving to Norway from Canada, was a small wooden cabin on the shores of Hardanger Fjord, constructed entirely by Saunders and his former collaborator Tommie Wilhelmsen. The experience set off a lifetime of experimentation and fascination with wooden construction; Saunders Architecture now has its own in-house workshop and carpentry experts on staff.

The XS Minihus has been carefully designed to break down into twelve key components, allowing this micro-house to be trucked or floated to remote sites and then assembled. Should you so desire, it can also be easily demounted and moved to a different spot. The structure sits on piles, so it can accommodate all kind of rough terrain. And should the ultra-remote lifestyle not appeal, you can of course hook it up to mains services if available. 

The large sliding aluminium doors and windows and 4m internal ceiling height maximise the tiny volume, along with sliding interior doors to further save space. The exterior panelling has been carried through to the interior walls. The integral storage, folding bed, and light colour palette make this a tempting, if cosy proposition.

The XS is the smallest of a proposed series of four compact micro-house dwellings developed by the architect and his team. There are also 50, 75 and 100 sq m products in the works. This particular example, Prototype One, is for sale and available right now. 

 INFORMATION

Saunders Arkitektur

Bent René Synnevåg

Finn

Casa El Gauchal, Chile

Chilean architects Iván Bravo, Martín Rojas and Gino León have collaborated on this beautifully pared down seaside retreat in the country's coastal region of Navidad. The house, a cross between a cabin and a beach hut, is called El Gauchal and spans three levels defined by a utilitarian, timber-heavy, back-to-basics aesthetic. 

This structure sits just a few meters from the beach. It was created for four families that came together to build a small holiday gateway to share and enjoy jointly and separately. As a result, the timber building includes a large, double-height open plan living and entertaining space and four large bedrooms, which can easily sleep a total of 14 people. At the same time, the project reads as a relatively small beach house from the outside, keeping things clean and simple within an area of about 110 sq m. 

In terms of the volume creation and overall composition, the architects decided to eschew the typical cabin typology that dictates a structure that is low and close to the ground, in favour of going tall. The design sits on a fairly narrow footprint and extends upwards like a small, timber tower – affording privacy between bedrooms (creating level changes and distance between the different families' private rooms), as well as long views towards the ocean and surrounding wooded area. 

Both interiors and exteriors are fully clad in exposed wood that appears rough and weathered. This, explain the architects, was a direct response to the context. ‘[The exterior] is an inert and atemporal grey that tends to eliminate the newly built status of the house,' they say. Meanwhile the interior ‘is a pristine white that is exposed to the extreme conditions of the coast, like a cuirass or plumage that shines while also protecting.'

INFORMATION

ivanbravo.cl

Is there a better place to escape the heatwave than a cool beach hut, summer house or surf shack? Beach huts are a staple of seaside living – and demand for this attractive seaside commodity is soaring. From small and basic cabins, to larger holiday retreats and more luxurious, design-led coastal structures, this waterfront typology is sure to evoke images of long sunny summer days and carefree, deck chair reading. Architects from across the globe have been exploring the genre with impressive results. The settings may vary. There are suburban mini homes and vacation pavilions, some drawing on the typical, pitched-roof, mini-house outline of the traditional beach hut, and others taking a distinctly more daring, contemporary approach. They all are certain, however, to inspire us to travel – from our sofa, or otherwise. 

Auckland Beach House, New Zealand

This beach house by New Zealand based architecture studio Donnell Day builds a magnificent, minimalist space through simplicity and traditional forms. Fine textures are balanced with a restraint material palette in composing an interior that is calming and rich; at the same time, large openings focus the eye to the wide open views of the sea. An exposed timber structure on the ceiling adds subtle drama. ‘In a similar manner to a tailored suit, (or a White Stripes album)– the palette is carefully refined and limited to a few classic materials, timber sizes, and tones,' say the architects. 

www.donnellday.co.nz

Beach House Blues, Australia 

Black, white and natural wood colours define the elegant minimalism of this excuisite beach house in a coastal town outside Melbroune. Designed by Corke Design Studio the home was designed to maximise its views, while balancing family life. ‘Our material of choice was the application of charred timber boards to the façade and internal lining; a traditional Japanese technique of blackening timber. Well suited to this coastal project, due to its durability and low maintenance but also aesthetically it is subtle, raw and unobtrusive making it perfect for Lorne,' say the architects. 

www.corkedesignstudio.com.au

Coastal House, Australia

Designed by Luke Moloney Architecture in collaboration with Arent&Pyke, this beach hut inspired house is a seaside home in Sydney's suburbs. The project involved the renovation and extension of a modest, single storey cottage. The architecture team responded by adding another floor and refreshing the whole in a crisp, white aesthetic that reminds of waterside bathing pavilions. A cut out corner of the upper level envelope and a fully glazed side allows residents to enjoy long views of the ocean and feel fully connected to their coastal context.

www.lukemoloney.com.au; arentpyke.com

Koh Kong Mangrove Lodging, Cambodia

A series of beach huts in the Cambodian peninsula of Koh Kong, in the gulf of Thailand, peaks out of the area's ecologically diverse system of mangrove forests, waterways and small islands. It is the work of Thailand based Estudio Cavernas, a non profit architecture organisation committing to supporting sustainable construction and marginalised communities. The project was designed to promote community resilience and is built using traditional techniques and a local workforce, in a minimalist design of simple geometries. Bamboo is the main construction material, which the team treated for durability through saltwater immersion. Betel nut palm (Areca Catechu) was also used. The lodgings are available for stays.

estudiocavernas.com

Uni Resort, Finland

This micro-resort in the Finnish countryside, created by nature tourism entrepreneur Kari Vainio and architecture firm Studio Puisto bridges sustainability, hospitality and cutting edge architecture. The villas are a modular U-shaped accommodation block featuring two units each. A sleek cross-laminated timber shell not only looks good, but also means the structure can be prefabricated and easily assembled on site with minimum ecological disruption. Versatile and stylish, the first Uni resort has been built on the country’s Kytäjä Golf, but it can be erected with ease in even the remotest of locations.

studiopuisto.fi

Lincolnshire Beach Hut, UK

Located on the Sandilands sea front, this modern beach hut is the work of Jonathan Hendry Architects. Stepping away from traditional forms, the studio employed contemporary shapes and materials to extend what used to be a toilet block and transform it into a new beach chalet. The structure's distinctive red top is made of stained timber boarding on three sides. The north-west façade is clad in sheets of opaque polycarbonate instead, to allow the light to flow in. ‘The unique form and identity of the proposals respond to the quirky characteristics of the existing building on this corner site and contribute to the tourist seaside character of the area,' say the architects. 

jonathanhendryarchitects.com

Casa El Gauchal, Chile

Chilean architects Iván Bravo, Martín Rojas and Gino León have collaborated on this beautifully pared down seaside retreat in the country’s coastal region of Navidad. The house, a cross between a cabin and a beach hut, is called El Gauchal and spans three levels defined by a utilitarian, timber-heavy, back-to-basics aesthetic. This structure sits just a few meters from the beach. It was created for four families that came together to build a small holiday gateway to share and enjoy jointly and separately. Both interiors and exteriors are fully clad in exposed wood that appears rough and weathered.

ivanbravo.cl

Spy Glass Beach Hut, UK

A beach hut in Eastbourne has been inspired by binoculars. Spy Glass was designed by JaK Studio as part of a competion to rejuvenate the coast in Devonshire Ward. The architects wanted to pay homage to the traditional English seaside beach hut, but at the same time create a more contemporary, fun and unexpected form. The result not only looks the part but can also physically rotate in a 180-degree direction to follow the sun, views or the bright coastal city lights. ‘A big inspiration to our project was the coin slot binoculars which allow one to gaze out to sea,' says studio founding partner Jacob Low. ‘As you can move these binoculars users can also move our Spy Glass to interact with the sun or coastline. It will hopefully bring a bit of nostalgia to local residents and those visiting on days out.' 

jakstudio.co.uk

Soulac-sur-Mer villa, France

Nestled within a pine forest in Soulac-sur-Mer, not far from Bordeaux in the west of France, sits this elegant timber structure. Designed by Paris-based architect Nicolas Dahan, the retreat is a 250 sq m family bolthole, created as a ‘space to live and move within the pine forest’, explains Dahan. With that in mind, the architect set out to compose a space that is in constant dialogue with its natural surroundings. Large openings and floor-to-ceiling glass expanses allow for wide views out towards the trees, merging seamlessly indoors and outdoors when windows are open and the living room transforms into a covered terrace. The ocean is so close, you can hear the waves. 

nicolasdahan.fr

Margate Beach Hut inspired houses, UK

A mere hour away from London by train, Margate is known for its cultural heritage, tourist charms and glorious sunsets over the Channel coast, as famously immortalised by JMW Turner. And now, this sunset could be within your daily views, should you choose to set up camp in one of Guy Hollaway’s latest residential offerings.The series of 11 beachfront houses was created for Harriss Property. The architect sought to reinterpret the ‘iconic English beach hut typology’, explains the developers. ‘Here, we wanted to create the ultimate beach hut for 21st century living’, says Hollaway. ‘Architecturally, our open-plan design allows for flexible spaces that are ideal for the modern family.’

hollawaystudio.co.uk

Egaming, and in particular the intricate world of sandbox game Minecraft, has inspired London archicture practice JaK Studio to create a new modular cabin concept. The young, award winning firm has launched Home Office Module Cubed (HOM3), a flexible design that helps cater to a variety of residential – and not only – needs. 

Its secret? The product is completely customisable, aiming to respond to a very wide range of requirements. It can become from a yoga retreat-in-the-back-garden to a home office, but it could also be adapted to fit the needs of more than homes. Its creators envisage it providing valuable square footage, usage options and design style to offices, schools, play areas and gyms in the future.

‘There has been a growing trend in recent years for garden sheds and outhouses that can be used flexibly as work or leisure spaces and the pandemic has only accelerated this trend,' says JaK Studio director Jacob Low. ‘During lockdown, our team became fascinated by the principles of games such as Minecraft which allow people to transform and customise their environments, and we began experimenting with the idea of customisable, modular micro-architecture. HOM3 transports what we found in the gaming world to the physical space, offering a really unique design solution for modern living.'

The cabins are not only designed to be flexible and functional but they are environmentally friendly too. The can be easily adapted to a site and built quite fast, minimising the impact of construction. They are built out of wood, using quality, specialist joinery skills and 100 per cent sustainable materials sourced from the forests of Bosnia.

With modular design, opportunities can truly be endless. The team at JaK are currently working with indie game designers AI Interactive ‘to develop an interactive platform that will allow individuals to design their own unique HOM3 structure,' they explain, ‘opening up a myriad of design possibilities.'

INFORMATION
jakstudio.co.uk

Chile’s Pacific coastline – a 6,435 km stretch of rock formations, sandy beaches, lush green forests and coastal communities – is about as close to wild nature as you can get. And so it made perfect sense that, for this pair of holiday homes in Navidad, Santiagobased studio Croxatto & Opazo looked to the region’s rich, natural context and character for inspiration. The two buildings are sited approximately 80m above sea level, on steeply angled terrain, overlooking the beach below.

Each structure features a main living space – kitchen, dining and sitting areas – that looks out through carefully framed, large expanses of glass, to far-reaching seascape views (sea lions frequent these parts, and they are often seen from the cabins). A ladder leads up to a bedroom, and each structure has a north-facing terrace, which, with its overhang, helps to protect the structure from rain, harsh sun and strong winds.

The main frame is made of pine, treated and dried for durability, while the exterior cladding is formed from treated, reclaimed oak sleepers and the interior features recycled pine board. Local labour and materials were used in the construction, insulation was carefully planned to preserve heat when it’s cold, and solar-powered outdoor lighting helps reduce overall energy consumption.

Drawing on the natural landscape, these twin cabins offer a dreamy escape, but are also humble, respectful and functional. ‘We were looking for a way to both “dominate” the steep slope, and blend in with the surrounding nature,’ say the architects, who named the structures La Loica and La Tagua, a nod to the two bird species that are local to the region.

INFORMATION

croxattoyopazo.cl

The cabin perfectly captures the zeitgeist of our times; aspirational yet modest, it is the ideal place to practice self-isolation in the heart of nature. Seattle-based architects Olson Kundig have made the contemporary cabin one of their specialties and the firm seemingly has no shortage of clients keen to make an architectural impact on the stunning landscapes of the Pacific North-West. The studio has released numerous projects within this genre, both in their home state of Washington and elsewhere, giving us all an excuse to contemplate a very different pace of life. These five schemes are the perfect embodiment of the cabin typology as displayed by the American architecture practice's powerful approach.

Vermont Cabin, Vermont

The archetypal object in the landscape, this 750 sq ft cabin is functionally elegant, set amongst pines and maples on a hillside site in rural Vermont. Using Olson Kundig’s signature palette of steel, wood and concrete, the cabin is set across three levels. Despite its small footprint, the plan incorporates three bedrooms, with the main living space up amongst the trees. Here there are large expanses of glass providing views to the distant Green Mountains that give the state its name, all set beneath an exposed wooden ceiling. The steel panels on the exterior are designed to weather naturally and there’s copious amounts of poured and cast concrete inside and out to give the cabin a hard-wearing, utilitarian appearance.

City Cabin, Seattle, Washington

An urban retreat in the heart of Seattle, this generous private house takes the ethos and aesthetic of the rural cabin and transplants it into an urban setting. Ultra-sustainable, with photovoltaic panels and an air-to-water heat pump, the City Cabin is set amongst a carefully planted garden that maximise privacy and the sense of being amongst nature. Big windows bring the garden into the living spaces, while the extensive use of timber cladding inside creates a warm, natural environment. The floorplan is arranged around a central living space with towering 16-foot ceilings. Exterior walls are clad in reclaimed fir siding, and a green roof completes the low-impact design strategy.

Agate Pass Cabin, Washington

Located on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, the Agate Pass Cabin Washington was designed and built by Alan Maskin, principal and owner of Olson Kundig. Incorporating an existing 1930s cabin, the project is a patchwork of restoration and innovation, designed to accommodate Maskin’s art and furniture collection. The 1930s structure was expanded and enhanced, with all surplus original wood recycled into new cabinetry and ceilings. The demarcation between old and new is laid bare, with a second storey added, ceilings raised and a roof-terrace added. A new staircase with striking orange Plexiglass risers leads to the new rooms. Maskin not only designed the built-in furniture, but also the surrounding gardens, creating a truly bespoke place in which to live and work.

[falcon]

False Bay Writers Cabin, Washington

Set amongst the rich eco-system of San Juan Island in the straits to the north-west of Seattle, this modest 500 sq ft cabin is designed to be closed up and minimal when not in use, with three vast wooden slat decks that can be raised up to shutter off the glass walls. Using Olson Kundig’s trademark love of traditional mechanical systems, the shutters are operated via winches, pivots and lead weights. The cabin serves as a private writer’s retreat and guest cottage. Arranged as one single room with pared back finishes, a timber ceiling and a central stove, there’s also a small bathroom and kitchenette and external kayak store. The fold-away Murphy bed turns the reflective writing space into a guest cottage to the main house.

Chicken Point Cabin, Idaho

Set by the edge of a picturesque lake in Northern Idaho, Chicken Point Cabin is one of the studio's most iconic projects within the typology. Olson Kundig's Tom Kundig spreadheaded this project, which balances a pared-down, back-to-basics approach, with a rich materiality, clever craft and technology and a strong connection with nature. The structure is a simple concrete black box, broken up by a large window on one side, which offers dramatic views of the nature and lake beyond. When pivoting the glazed element open (using a specially designed hand-operated mechanism), the whole interior becomes at one with its leafy context; the perfect architectural escape.

INFORMATION

olsonkundig.com

Set on a snowy mountain slope or by the water, in the Nordic fjords or in an American forest, the humble cabin is one of the most hard-working typologies. These small but perfectly formed structures can be used for anything from a workspace to a family vacation home or a secluded retreat for one. Smart as they are functional and minimalist in feel and nature, cabins have lots to offer; ever more so, in the current pandemic climate, when extra space becomes more important than ever and connecting to nature is critical. Here we round up some of the genre's best. 

Remote Lake Cabin

This timber cabin is nestled deep in the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York, set by an idyllic lake. The project, designed by Stonorov Workshop Architects, makes the most of its hillside location and views through minimalist architecture that allows the framed views and nature to take centre stage. The structure seems small but holds an open plan kitchen and living area, two bedrooms and a bathroom - and it can in fact house up to six people. Attention to detail means that rooms may be small but fixtures and fitting feel luxurious, including, for instance, a Starck bathtub by Duravit. 

Manta North

Manta North, a Riga based prefab company, manufactures cabins that can be bought online, are carbon negative, built from sustainable materials, and equipped with modern technologies. The structures are made in CLT (cross-laminated timber) elements which are made locally to avoid the energy consumption linked to lengthy shipping, contributing towards a solid sustainable architecture plan. Their latest iteration (pictured above) has been installed within the dramatic natural landscape of Iceland.

Stinson Beach Writer’s Studio

'Our client, a poet, purchased the existing one room studio building as a retreat for writing and quiet reflection,' says the team behind it at locally based California firm Fischer Architecture. ‘Just a few steps away from the beach and from the historic town center, the slipshod structure was chock-full of potential, and in desperate need of its new steward.' The project may be small but packs quite a punch in functionality and inventivness. The architects envisioned it ‘as a lens,' where tall and wide glass folding doors connect seamlessly to the outdoors from the main living space. 

Todays’s Office powered by IONIQ 5

Finnish architecture practice Studio Puisto have joined forces with Hyundai to create an office space inside a 9 sq m design cabin. The project, for Hyundai Sweden, discussed the future of workspace as well as sustainable architecture and mobility. Conceived as a twist to the popular Space of Mind cabin (seen further below), the architects created this together with Protos Demos (who worked on the project's sustainable production), and furniture brand Made by Choice, who looked after the modular interior. The car company's new IONIQ 5 ‘can be turned into a giant power-bank,' explains Hyundai, and therefore it can power the cabin anywhere for off-the-grid, remote working. 

Atherton Pavilions

A set of twin structures outside a contemporary house in Atherton, USA sit among a landscape of redwoods and other mature trees. These cabin-like pavilions, designed by Feldman Architecture, contain auxiliairy functions for the main house - one is a social, open space, hosting a kitchen, which sits next to the pool and serves as an extension to the al fresco living experience of the garden. The other structure is a calm haven to retreat to, used for yoga, exercise, and meditation sessions. Clad in weathering Alaskan Yellow Cedar slats, the pavilions feel entirely at home in their natural setting. 

Hotel on Wheels

Spanning ideas of modular living and hip hospitality, this concept offers an inovative proposition: a hotel on wheels. Created by developer Moliving Inc, the design is clear and simple and brings a nomadic approach to hospitality. ‘The traditional hotel development model has proven its success for generations.  Now, lifestyle habits and travel behaviors have greatly shifted. We are spearheading the change with our mobile units and proprietary technology to continue to adapt,' says Moliving Inc.'s founder and CEO, Jordan Bem. ‘Moliving is accommodating by design, its flexibility feeds the desire to roam freely helping the industry to embrace the nomadic, adventure seeking traveler of today who still wants all the benefits of the traditional five-star accommodation.'

Refugio 6x6

Often the idea of refuge brings to mind post-apocalyptic universes, emergency architecture or remote places with difficult access, explain Argentinian architects Colle Croce. And it was that notion of escape and safety that they had in mind when they designed their latest project - a minimalist cabin - and called ‘Refugio 6x6'. The project hints to a retreat from the daily routine and get away to a peaceful haven, a cabin that gives you the option to escape from it all and seek shelter in the green countryside. The light nature of the structure allows us to get immersed in nature, without damaging it, respecting the surroundings and remain sustainable by producing a minimal environmental impact.  

Treehouse C

Created among the rich vegetation outside Ubud in Indonesia's Bali, Treehouse C is a concept by local design office Stilt Studios in an artist's village. Indeed, perhaps more of a children's treehouse than a traditional cabin, this is design is playful and fun, yet required some serious technical fine tuning. The structure is made of a core element composed of four vertical columns, which are braced by a staircase. Inside, there is a kitchen with a living area, a bedroom with its own sitting area, and a bathroom. The surrounding garden was designed by local practice True Nature Nusantara. 

Writer's Cabin

A writer’s cabin in the north of Madrid is a striking bolthole for a children’s book author. The small home office, created by Barcelona-based MuDD Architects, uses a combination of digital fabrication and skilled building work for a curving sanctuary in the Sierra countryside. With temperatures reaching lows of -20 degrees in winter, the design accommodated the challenges of the area’s climate. ‘We wanted to achieve a very transparent building while still offering some comfort in winter,’ explains MuDD Architects founder Stephanie Chaltiel. ‘To do so, thick 20cm stone wool insulation was used in between the wooden structure, while a hung chiminea placed in the middle heats the cabin.’ A rich mix of woods adds to the ambience, with different tones of maple syrup finishings in the wood a warm juxtaposition to the locally sourced pine of the bookshelves.

Hytte

Created through a collaboration between Koto Design and Aylott + Van Tromp, Hytte is a new modular hotel and retreat design that could be installed anywhere. Its name stands for ‘cabin' in Norwegian and its concept represents just that; an architectural expression of pure simplicity, created through refined aesthetics and the needs of a 21st century nature-focused retreat. ‘Hytte is seeking ambitious partners to disrupt the current hospitality and tourism accommodation model from existing hotel brands to new start up ventures,' says Aylott + Van Tromp's Nathan Aylott. Nordic and Japanese traditions meet in this ambitious series of excuisite, design-led mini escapes. 

Permanent Camping

Set in the green countryside of a New Zealand hill, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, this unusual cabin project is the brainchild of local architecture studio Casey Brown. ‘The demands of living are distilled to the essentials. The structure is made from recycled iron bark, sourced from an unused wharf float. It has three manual winches to lift and lower the sides of the building creating an overhang to protect against the summer sun,' explain the architects. 

Tetra Pod

Indonesia based architectural designer Alexis Dornier has created a prototype for a cabin in the woods. Tetra Pod, as the concept is called, is situated in Uluwatu, South Bali, and the plan is for it to be the first of many. Developed by Slit Studios as a series of rentable accomodations, the project will combine chic, boutique cabins with amenities on site, including a common area, sport facilities, spa, permaculture, and co-working spaces. In theory, the design can be replicated anyway, as it is available to all to buy, so you could even have it built in your own back yard.

Aska

This is an all-timber, sustainable cabin built in the natural landscape around Lake Mývatn, in Northern Iceland. Created by Studio Heima, the burnt pine and plywood structure is to be the first of several. At 21 sqm, it is compact but elegantly furnished with a double bedroom, private bath and an open plan kitchen. Using Shou sugi ban, the ancient Japanese technique for wood treatment that makes timber durable, the cabin is effectively and sustainably protected from the elements. Drawing on its context, the project was called ‘Aska', which translates to ‘ash', referencing ‘the Icelandic volcanoes with ash and lava lying like a blanket in the landscape,' explain the architects. 

Arcana

Situated in the Canadian wilderness 2-hours outside of Toronto, this is a group of cabins designed with wellness and nature in mind. Created by Aruliden and Leckie Studio, Arcana is a ‘brand new hospitality getaway concept that prioritizes high-calibre design and architecture as a part of its offerings,' explain its authors. Clad in mirrors, the cabins become almost invisible and merge with their green context, reflecting the trees and weather changes around them. The group of structures are now taking bookings for this fall. 

Modulr Space

Created at a time where all of us are seeking more and flexible space to work and rest at home, Modulr is a prefabricated cabin concept especially conceived as a contemporary solution for personal workspace. The design is created by in-house architects and comes with some pretty cool eco-credentials too. Each one is made with low-emission manufacturing processes and carbon-negative/fully recyclable materials, including high-performance insulation, Kvadrat fabrics and sustainable Smile Plastics surfaces. The sleek-looking cabins can even be transferable to different locations as the structure doesn't require a permanent concrete base. And of course it comes in various configurations that can accomodate functions beyond an office environment, providing anything from a spare room to a home gym.

The Boulder, Norway

This Norwegian concept hotel provides the perfect combination - a high end, design-led environment and an experience that feels at the same time immersed in nature and offering a refreshing simplicity. The property features two ski lodges in Lysefjord, set upon a cliffside. Interiors are created by Vipp, while the clean, sharp, cedar wood-clad exterior allows the rich natural landscape to take centre stage. The minimalist architecture was created by John Birger Grytdal of Norgeshus. Inside the timeless and functional design by the Danish company unites warmth with dark tones (such as the oak ceiling) and cool cocrete flooring. 

Majamaja Cabin, Finland

Facilitated by the City of Helsinki and offering visitors the option to stay at a serene spot on the Finnish archipelago, this cabin includes minimalistic wooden design and the highest ecological standards. Part of what will in the future become a whole ‘village', this off-grid living experience is designed and masterminded by Littow Architects. The structure includes a clean, flexible living space as well as shower, kitchen and a dry toilet. Cleverly integrated furniture and a sophisticated white and grey colour palette form a functional interior with a distinct contemporary feel. Large openings allow the user to take in the scenery, which includes a sea-view over the Suomenlinna sea fortress and Unesco heritage site. The first Majamaja unit has now been constructed at Vuorilahdenniemi, Helsinki – while more are in the pipeline. 

Dwelling On Wheels (The DW), USA

Seattle-based custom studios maker The Modern Shed has launched its first ever portable cabin. The design, named Dwelling On Wheels – a.k.a. The DW – does just what it says on the tin; it provides its owner with a flexible, compact little home that can travel to be installed wherever you want your life or work to be. ‘The DW can do a lot – it’s great for enjoying nature short-term, for off-grid living, or as a second, remote home,' says the company's owner Ryan Smith. The clean overall volume design continues inside in an all-wood wrapped interior. Smart, built-in storage, solar panels on the roof, a wood burning stove and high-intensity, slim insulation paneling in the walls are some of the project's clever design and living features. A small entrance deck, connected to the ground via a retractable staircase, can expand to form a porch, providing the perfect spot to sit and relax. 

Space of Mind, Finland

A collaboration between three Finnish studios, Space of Mind was conceived as a modular cabin to house a workspace, personal yoga or meditation studio, art studio, or guest bedroom. It could sit in a back yard, a more rural setting, or even a rooftop. Architecture studio Puisto, specialist interiors manufacturers Protos Demos and design house Made by Choice created the modern cabin as a dedicated space to think, recharge and unwind – ‘somewhere we can find our own peace of mind,’ explains the team. The cabin, a clean, minimalist, contemporary design, is made as a mass timber construction using ecologically sourced Finnish wood – this means it’s very durable against the elements too. Coming at just under 10 sq m total, the compact space comes with its own custom furniture that attaches to the wooden structure. It has been created light enough to travel and install even in the remotest locations. ‘As a concept, Space of Mind was initially developed in response to the on-going pandemic,’ says the team. ‘With many of us now spending significantly more time at home than ever before, our collective notion of a ‘home away from home’ needed to be redefined to fit our newly limited range for travel.’ 

INFORMATION

studiopuisto.fi

protosdemos.com

madebychoice.com

littowarchitectes.com

modern-shed.com

Ongoing pandemic-induced restrictions across many parts of the world have only highlighted further a problem many had already encountered, when it comes to optimising our living space: we could all do with a spare room. Be it to use as a home office, or for leisure and relaxation, extra space is valuable commodity in the residential market. Now, a collaboration between three Finnish studios was conceived to offer just that in the shape of a cabin. Enter, Space of Mind. 

The project was designed as a modular cabin by three enterprising creative firms – architecture studio Puisto, specialist interiors manufacturers Protos Demos and design house Made by Choice. ‘Space of Mind is a modern cabin that acts as a dedicated space to think, recharge and unwind – somewhere we can find our own peace of mind,' explains the team. 

The cabin, a clean, minimalist, contemporary design, is made as a mass timber construction using ecologically sourced Finnish wood – this means it's very durable against the elements too. Coming at just under 10 sq m total, the compact space comes with its own custom furniture that attaches to the wooden structure. It has been created light enough to travel and install even in the remotest locations.  

‘As a concept, Space of Mind was initially developed in response to the on-going pandemic,' says the team. ‘With many of us now spending significantly more time at home than ever before, our collective notion of a ‘home away from home’ needed to be redefined to fit our newly limited range for travel.' 

Yet the concept could be easily applicable to several scenarios and life post-pandemic too, used as workspace, personal yoga or meditation studio, art studio, and guest bedroom. It could sit in a back yard, a more rural setting, or even a rooftop. Flexibility and that coveted extra space to breathe is exactly what this concept offers.

INFORMATION

studiopuisto.fi

protosdemos.com

madebychoice.com

Designers and husband-and-wife team Volkmar and Catharina Weiss were working with several established companies and high profile clients like BMW and Austrian Airlines from their main base in Vienna, when, a couple of years ago, they realised that their work/life balance was becoming skewed. Seeking a way out of this, the couple decided to make the big move; relocate their family and business – vald, their ‘agency for sustainable communication' – to their holiday home, an extraordinairy escape in the countyside of Austria's Waldviertel region, to create a live/work headquarters that is healthier, closer to nature and more sustainable. 

This was not about going big – their new home is only 90 sq m. But taking a sustainability minded approach was important to the Weiss's both from a personal and a professional angle. ‘[Our vision was] to live and work with(in) the nature,' says Volkmar. ‘Our worklife did not match our daily family routine and how we wanted to live. We love living in town but we felt the need to retreat in nature, where we can also draw inspiration for our work.'

‘And – of course – we wanted to build the house ecologically, in harmony with the surrounding woods,' he continues. ‘That was also the reason behind the black, charred larch wood cladding that gives the house its distinct character. It’s not only a Japanese tradition [the burnt wood technique of Shou Sugi Ban]; farmers in Austria – a long time ago, in the Alps – also fired their wood huts' exteriors to make them more durable and better against the harsh weather here.'

The pair worked with Vienna based architects Backraum on the design, although they had a clear idea of what they wanted to create, right from the start. ‘We looked at many architecture books and the house is for us like the best combination of all these books and blogs – taking into account our finances of course,' says Catharina. ‘We wanted a house that fits within the natural forest around the site, so using timber was important. We also love functional design and the approach of the Scandinavian architects of the 1930s, 50s and 60s. We wanted to have cupboards, benches, shelves, the bed, all integrated into the house. The furniture needed to be part of a holistic design.'

So now, the larch exterior is complemented by spruce wood inside, matched by bespoke timber furniture and fittings. The structure sits on a concrete base consisting of two walls and a floor. The same material also expands to form the fireplace in the main living space, which is the heart of the home. A master suite is placed under the roof, on a mezzanine above it, and a second bedroom is underneath, opening out into the garden.  

The project's main challenge was the steeply angled site, which is set by a lake and within woods, accessible only via a small, narrow country road. But careful planning and a highly skilled team of contractors helped them through it, and now, the Weiss's home and escape, Haus Thurnberg, is nestled comfortably in the slope, looking out towards the water. ‘We are surrounded by trees and meadows, where we can let the grass grow for our own bees and enjoy the greenery and wildlife, while working,' they say.

INFORMATION

vald.at

backraum.at

A bach is New Zealand's answer to the humble beach cabin, and the Karekare Bach represents the epitome of its building genre. The simple wooden structure was designed by Auckland based studio Stevens Lawson Architects, headed by Nicholas Stevens and Gary Lawson, as an extraordinairy escape for the designer Dean Poole and his family. 

Situated deep in native bush, a stone's throw from the small town of Karekare, this bach is the ultimate retreat; simple, fairly compact and surrounded by nature. This was a direct response to the owners' brief, which outlined a holiday escape that would provide the ‘authentic New Zealand experience.' The architects worked hard to distil this into a building and Karekare Bach has been designed to perfection, from its overall proportions to its smallest details. 

The structure sits perched on a steep slope overlooking the sea. A decked terrace surrounded by Nikau Palms and orientated towards the beach and water makes for the perfect spot to sit amidst a chorus of bird-song and take in the views, which include the famous black sand beach below, where Jane Campion’s film ‘The Piano’ was shot. 

Stepping inside from there is a large, open plan living space lined in plywood that contains a sitting area, dinning and kitchen - the latter fully equipped with freestanding furniture and seamlessly incorporated modern appliances by Fisher & Paykel. Upstairs from there are the bedrooms; a master with en suite, two smaller rooms and an independent bathroom. 

The overall design ‘references both the simple cabins built by early settlers and a Maori ‘Whare’ (house),' explain the architects, linking this modest summer abode to the region's past, as much as to its cultural and geographical context.

INFORMATION

stevenslawson.co.nz

Typologically hovering between a folly, a house and a viewing platform, this new cabin in the barren, treeless moorlands of the Hardangervidda National Park in Norway seems to be many things rolled into one. Designed by Gartnerfuglen Arkitekter, a young Oslo-based architecture studio headed by Astrid Rohde Wang, Ole Larsen and Olav Lunde Arneberg, Thunder Top is the first cabin to complete by the dynamic trio.

Created for a client with a growing extended family of children and grandchildren, the structure sits on the plot of an existing holiday cabin built in the 1980s in the traditional Telemark region vernacular style. Adapting the original building to accommodate the increasing numbers of its occupants, the architects designed a new structure within a simple triangular outline, featuring a stepped timber roof. Going up those thirty roof steps unveils a panoramic view of the nearby lake and plains. The facades are clad in ore-pine, (a type of cured pinewood) known for being one of the region’s oldest and most hardwearing construction materials – and leaving the hardwood untreated makes for an extra sturdy and largely maintenance-free exterior.

AS FEATURED IN THE WALLPAPER* DESIGN AWARDS 2020 ISSUE

The interior is effectively one big, double-height room, which is attached to the older structure by a glass corridor that squeezes in a wardrobe and a utility sink. The extra space is used as a family hobby room, a weekend office or just a place to relax and be inspired by the views.

The idea is that this humble cabin will slowly become at one with its environment. ‘As everything put here, from the outside, it is slowly appropriated by nature,’ says Rohde Wang. ‘The cabin is an inhabitable beacon, a man-made peak in the rolling fells of Hardangervidda, worn down by glaciers during the ice age.’

INFORMATION

gartnerfuglen.com

No-one can escape the contemporary allure of the cabin. The timelessly fashionable fusion of idyllic co-existence with nature and high design has ensured that cabin living in all its forms, from tiny to titanic, slickly minimal to artfully rustic, will stay forever fascinating. This grouping of black-painted structures sits on Prince Edward Island will certainly add to the mythos.

The eastern Canadian province has a reputation for slow living, fast-changing weather conditions and rolling countryside and farmland. Designed by local firm Nine Yards Studio, the River Cabins are a private summer retreat for the client, family and friends. The site is a relatively remote spot on the centre of the island, with zero wireless connectivity and access only via a dirt track.

The plot itself is set back from the Wheatley River by the proscribed 75 ft to preserve the local eco-system. Local wood was also used extensively to complete the three structures, united by a raised deck. The construction period was limited to the Spring, Summer and Fall due to the cold winters. 

Nine Yards Studio drew design inspiration from local farm barns and buildings, with steep asymmetrical roofs that allude to the lean-to aesthetic of ad-hoc additions and on a practical level provide space for sleeping lofts. The main structure is 600 sq ft and houses the living area, kitchen and bathroom with a loft above, while a smaller living/sleeping bunkhouse sits alongside, using the same materials and steep profile but slightly offset from the grid. The third structure is a wood store and all three have spiky black peaks that merge comfortably with the evergreen treetops of the landscape.

The grouping was driven by the shape of the site, and creates a variety of views and angles, from inside and out. All roofs and walls are black metal siding, with the gable ends of the main buildings finished in stained vertical pine boards.

Despite its compact size, the main residence has a generous feeling of space with its tall ceilings, glazed waterside facade and a large rooflight next to the master bed for additional river views. Spruce cladding gives a warm, earthy feel and a wood-burning stove adds to a feeling of self-sufficient seclusion. For the lucky occupants, privacy is all but guaranteed, while distant views of the architectural grouping offer up a mysterious but intriguing take on the traditional rural cabin.

INFORMATION

9ystudio.com

When you’re a relatively young challenger running shoe brand taking on the world’s second best-known monster duopoly, you need to play it smart. No amount of clever technology and natty design will worry Nike and Adidas unless your brand message starts to cut through. Without mega-buck marketing budgets and A-list athlete sponsorships, nine-year old Swiss brand On has got high and minimal to tell at least part of its story. This summer it landed a suitably advanced looking mountain hut 2,500 metres up Piz Lunghin in Switzerland’s Engadine valley.

One of the fastest growing sports brands in the world and known for its distinctive exposed-pod soles, an innovation it calls ‘CloudTech’, On was founded by triathlete Olivier Bernhard and friends Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann. All three grew up in the Swiss Alps and, they say, put together a business plan for their nascent brand walking in the mountains above the Engadine valley.

The hut though is the work of Thilo Brunner, On’s head of design. (Brunner, was until recently a professor at Ecal, leading the MA in product design and collaborating with Barber Osgerby, the Bouroullecs, amongst others. Allemann says that after talking to a number of shoe-design specialists, they went looking for someone who could bring a new take to running shoe design.)

The sharply-angled mountain outpost, clad in high-polish corrugated metal, is only reachable on foot, a 700 m climb. It packs in (just about) two floors, a stove and toilet with a glass façade offering views across the valley. (On has restricted access to competition winners though, unsurprisingly, it has attracted a fair amount of attention from walkers and a clamour for guest privileges).

Built in light local plywood, powered by solar panels and using only collected rain water or water from mountain streams – Pix Linguin is the watershed of three of Europe’s major river systems – the hut should leave no trace when it is dismantled this autumn. Alleman says they hope to re-erect the hut next summer, either in its current spot or a new lookout and is considering building other versions to land in the US or Asia.

On have used the hut’s installation to announce the launch of its Cloudrock Waterproof walking boots and a reworked trail running shoe, the Cloudventure Peak, as the brand pushes beyond road running and into the hills and valleys.

On shoes and apparel are now sold in 6,000 specialist running stores in 50 countries. Headquartered in Zurich it has outposts in Portland, Yokohama and Melbourne, and in 2021 will move into a brand-new Zurich HQ building. Allemann says the company will double its staff numbers over the next three or four years to 800 people. ‘On has a very distinct culture,’ he says, ‘and how to maintain that when we are growing so quickly, moving from a one-floor office to a new one with several floors is a big topic. We’re looking into how to combine all the things we do daily at work like workshops, doing sports together and just being creative. At the same time we’re bringing selected partners into the new office space, we want to create a hub in Zurich for creativity, for startups and incubators.’

Brunner meanwhile is currently moving into a new separate ‘maker space’. ‘It’s a proper design maker lab,’ he says. ‘Computer-aided design is really important in design of course but I wanted to take the computer-generated work back to the work-bench to make design development much faster. If a designer has an idea, I need them to be able to build the shoe using their skills and the tools at hand by themselves within a few days.’

INFORMATION

on-running.com

It's no secret that the Norwegians love a holiday cabin. A large part of the population traditionally spends the summer in simple, wooden structures in forests and by the water, which they use as a base to appreciate and enjoy their country's beautiful countryside. This new cabin in Stokkøya, an island off the mainland coast in Norway's north, is an example of such a structure, created jointly by Fur arkitekter and Agraff arkitektur.

Commissioned by a couple with a base in nearby Trondheim, the project involved the replacement of an old boathouse on site with a light, timber building where the clients can entertain guests, creating ‘unique food experiences rooted in Norwegian coastal culture'.

Named, ‘Naustet' (which derives from the Norwegian word for a traditional boat house), the cabin references its origins and the site in more ways than one. The new structure also gives a nod to the older one through the use of traditional timber frames, which were updated to fit modern needs. 

The exterior cladding is made of spruce and treated with linseed oil to appear darker. A jetty for boats, an outdoor kitchen, a sauna and a hot tub complete the composition on site. Meanwhile inside, an open plan, generous main level houses a kitchen and dinning space for 12, while stairs lead up to four different mezzanine bedroom areas. Interiors come courtesy of SJ Design, who worked closely with the architects (commissioned as Tyin Tengestue, before the firm's partners split up into Fur and Agraff architects).

‘Stokkøya was a unique concept for us from the outset and one which was fantastic to see come to fruition. Our brief was to design a food studio with all the facilities of a commercial kitchen, that could also sleep up to eight guests', say the interior designers. ‘So, the logistics of all this in a space this size meant that everything must have a place and a reason for being there. When you are working with a fully bespoke interior you have the opportunity to do this, but the hard part is to always make it look simple and intuitive for the user.'

INFORMATION

tyinarchitects.com; naustetstokkoya.no; sjdesign.no

The remote, dramatic landscapes of Punta Chilen, on the Chilean island of Chiloé, offer the perfect antidote to a busy urban lifestyle. This sparsely populated environment means that one should come prepared, both with sustenance and good company.

The latest project by Santiago-based firm Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados does the rest in terms of providing the space to entertain with style. His quincho (the regional version of an enclosed barbecue space), an addition to a private residential complex, features a pitched roof and is raised on stilts, taking its cues from local vernacular structures called palafitos.

However, its bright red exterior makes it clearly stand out from its neighbours. Inside, natural timber planks have been meticulously assembled to create a warm, informal interior, featuring a bar, open kitchen, barbecue, dining room and sitting area.

Admiring the long views of the Chacao Channel and the miles of volcanoes that shape the Andes through large glazed openings while getting comfortable around a grill is pretty much our idea of the perfect retreat.

As originally featured in the January 2019 issue of Wallpaper* (W*238)

INFORMATION

studioacaa.com