Tag Archives: Cabin Designs

Sustainable Cabin Designs that provide the perfect architectural escapism in eco-friendly style!

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Living a sustainable and eco-conscious life in today’s crumbling world has become imperative! And, architects are trying their level best to create structures that reduce their carbon footprint and encourage a sustainable and clean lifestyle. Homes, offices, hotels – almost every type of structure is being pushed down the sustainable route. And, why shouldn’t cabins be included in this mix? We all enjoy a peaceful cabin retreat every now and then, and if we can do it in a sustainable style, then why not?! We’ve curated some of our favorite sustainable cabin designs that not only take care of Mother Earth but also take our breath away! These sustainable cabins will have you vacationing in the most eco-friendly manner possible!

The architectural CMF for the cabin has been inspired by the spruce trees that surround it, so there are a lot of shades of gray and dark green. Weekend House Nové Hamry features connection points for solar panels and vertical wind turbines to make it energy self-sufficient. The roof and most of the exterior are covered in the durable, anthracite-colored aluminum cladding. This resembles oiled black wood and adds to the minimal, modern, elegant aesthetic of the cabin. The area gets a lot of heavy snow so to manage the load, the angular design also features a steeply sloped roof. The structure is constructed from cross-laminated timber panels.

Careful not to disrupt the area’s wooded landscape and to maintain the cabin’s initial off-grid aspirations, Marc Thorpe equipped each cabin hotel with a solar kit and roof to ensure the cabin has plenty of renewable energy available for power. Each solar kit comes with a 1800W solar generator to provide backup power for the four 100W 12V mono solar panels that line the cabins’ roofs. Inside, guests enjoy a minimal interior that’s lined and finished in plywood. Built as supplementary retreats for guests of the area’s main hotel, Tara Luanei, Canton House offers a respite in nature that’s unique to the Carpathian Mountains.

This cabin is built on Lake Saimaa and is right on the border of lush woods and endless serene water. The prefabricated cabin only takes one day to be assembled. Helsinki-based architecture firm constructed Kynttilä from cross-laminated timber (CLT) with the exteriors featuring larch board cladding. CLT is a wonderfully eco-friendly construction material that offers high strength and structural simplicity for cost-effective buildings. It has a much lighter environmental footprint than concrete or steel. CLT is also quicker to install, reduces construction waste on-site, improves thermal performance, with light handling duties making it better for health and safety, and is versatile enough to be molded according to different designs.

Cabin One is described as a passionately designed home for the future and its minimalist look certainly appeals to millennials who will now be able to buy homes given that the lockdown is making them spend less on avocados (you know what I am talking about). What I love about Cabin One is that it promotes flexible micro-living through its modular build. You can customize the 25 square meters of space as per your needs – it could be a beautiful cabin for one, a holiday home for two, or a quirky office space that stands in between an Airbnb and WeWork (given that the future is all about working remotely, did I just come up with the next million-dollar startup?). “We have reduced the complexity of the construction industry to three important elements: comfort, quality, and user experience. We do not think in square meters, we think in features,” says Simon, Cabin One’s designer.

Casa Ojalá has been constructed with carefully selected timbers, fabrics made from recycled plastic, and handmade ceramics. It also has integrated photovoltaic panels, a rainwater recovery system, and a black water depuration advanced biological plant – all of which allow it to be set up even in the most remote locations. Each cabin will source local materials and therefore no destination will have the same casa but each will be woven with the roots of the land creating infinite possibilities within the same floor area anywhere in the world.

ZeroCabin wants to change the habits of its occupants by providing the tools to live sustainably. “It is not about ‘what happens if the water-scarce,’ the questions these days should be ‘if the waters scarce, are my habits according to the water available in the place where I live? If the solar energy is not enough, are my consumption habits according to the energy available?” adds the team when talking about the thought process behind the design. All ZeroCabins regardless of the modality you buy (turnkey or DIY) have a structural base that allows optimal capture of their only two inputs, just like trees: sun and rainwater. The cabin maximizes functionality oversize but includes a wide range of modifications you can do based on the land you want to put it on and as long as it is aligned with their environmental guidelines.

Named the Kvivik Igloo, the tiny, prefabricated houses perch the hilltops of Kvivik, overlooking the bay and surrounding mountains. Designed to look like tiny hobbit cottages, each Kvivik Igloo is built with a hexagonal frame and design elements meant to echo the past. Lined with asphalt panels, the Kvivik Igloos can sprout grass and greenery from their roofs and sides to really transport residents into their favorite hobbit fairytale. The igloo’s living roof not only adds to its charm but also to the tiny home’s sustainability factor, creating a heightened nesting place for birds and woodland creatures alike. Underlining their sustainability efforts, the builders use passive house construction practices and natural materials to build the Kvivik Igloos, including wood, glass, aluminum, and rubber.

Nestled just 20 minutes from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (a UNESCO World Heritage Site),  Casa Etérea provides breathtaking views of the volcanic and starry landscape. “The vision was to create a theatre to nature, so sustainability was crucial in achieving a truly complete integration with the environment,” explains Ashoka. Not only does the glass and mirror exterior reflect the hillsides and mesquite trees, but a special patterned, ultraviolet coating allows birds to see it as a structure that eliminates the risk of impact. The off-the-grid cabin can host two people comfortably within the 75-square-meter space. It is 100% powered by solar panels and includes all amenities for a comfortable stay like a king-sized bed, a luxurious living space, a kitchen, and laundry facilities. Casa Etérea includes a water harvesting system that collects and reuses rainwater for daily activities and is enough to fill the striking copper bathtub perched next to the bed. Ashoka chose natural materials like jute, leather, wood, and stone to align the interior aesthetic with the scenic setting of the cabin while keeping sustainability at its core.

Set on a rugged, 8-acre site on the secluded side of the island, this cabin offers magical views of the lush, lichen-covered rainforest and the serene bay water that surrounds it. The island is secluded from the dense population of Canadian cities but recent developments on and around it have left the natural sanctuary vulnerable. The Office of McFarlane Biggar Architects + Designers (OMB) has created an environmentally friendly alternative with a small environmental footprint to encourage sustainable travel and construction. “The views and access to sunshine were really the key considerations that helped us position the home,” says the architect.

The House in Chamois is made of our sustainable architecture dreams – a modern, prefabricated home by Torino-based firm Leap Factory. All projects are called ‘Leap Houses’ and each home’s entire design is constructed with a modular system built of natural, recyclable materials that allow for maximum flexibility. Every component for the House in Chamois was produced and designed in Italy to reduce environmental impact and construction site waste. The home was made for a couple who has a deep love for the outdoors so immersing them in the natural landscape was vital to the design. The two-story tiny house is used as a base for exploring the alpine landscape while blending into it with its angular, contemporary, and minimalist form.

This prefab holiday home in Netherlands has transforming rooms that go from day to night instantly!

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Yes, you read that right – it has a flexible layout which means no need to build separate rooms for different purposes that are divided by walls like a traditional home.

For the last 15 months, all of us have been planning our post-pandemic vacations and this holiday home is now on top of my wishlist because of its gorgeous design! The luxury cabin-style structure is located on the Dutch island of Texel in the Netherlands and is just a short walk to the North Sea. Designed by Rotterdam-based Orange Architects, the modern villa saves space thanks to its prefabricated construction and flexible layout.

Yes, you read that right – it has a flexible layout which means instead of building separate rooms for different purposes that are divided by walls like a traditional home, the designers optimized the floor plan with prefab, multifunctional spaces that can be transformed or divided temporarily to create separate zones for different functions.

Since it is a holiday home, the villa has to serve more purposes than a regular house because people will tend to spend more time together in communal areas by day and only use private spaces at night. The team of architects designed rooms in a way that they served at least two functions to keep a compact volume while still maximizing space. Each room is a fluid open space during the day and can be turned into a private one by night.

During the day, the villa serves as one continual space during the day, and at night residents can separate different sections by either closing the wooden panels in the hall or turning them 90 degrees. There is also a hidden shower and sink to create an en suite bathroom! The walls and roof were prefabricated at the contractor’s workshop before being transported to the island to save construction costs. The villa has a black wooden shell which is beautifully complemented by warm wood interior tones.

My favorite part is the south-facing floor-to-ceiling windows which extend the main living room area onto a covered terrace and adjacent garden. Several skylights on the upper floor bring in more natural light and the villa is also fitted with sloping rooftop solar panels as well as a rainwater drainage system for irrigation. I could move here permanently as long as they have a good wifi connection!

Designer: Orange Architects

 

 

 

 

The Top 10 cabin designs of July are here to provide the perfect architectural escapism!

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Cabins are probably some of the calmest spaces on planet Earth. Away from the hustle-bustle of the city, nestled in a cosy little cabin, surrounded by nature – sounds like heaven, doesn’t it? Cabins are a beautiful chance to reconnect with nature, breathe in some fresh oxygen, and simply rejuvenate yourself with a clear mind and even clearer surroundings. I don’t know when I’ll be able to embark on a cabin vacation next, but in anticipation of one, here’s a list of the best architectural cabin designs Yanko Design has seen this July, that are sure to give you the travel bug! Enjoy!

Casa Ojalá has been constructed with carefully selected timbers, fabrics made from recycled plastic, and handmade ceramics. It also has integrated photovoltaic panels, a rainwater recovery system, and a black water depuration advanced biological plant – all of which allow it to be set up even in the most remote locations. Each cabin will source local materials and therefore no destination will have the same casa but each will be woven with the roots of the land creating infinite possibilities within the same floor area anywhere in the world.

Italian architects Massimo Gnocchi and Paolo Danesi can’t wait to enjoy some downtime and therefore created the Mountain Refuge to express their desire for travel. It is a wooden, square, prefabricated cabin with an angular roof. While the geometric cabin is a structural contrast to its natural setting, it still blends in well while showing off its modern design. “The project acts as a contemporary interpretation of old traditional mountain refuges, bringing in architectural character and spatial quality,” say the designers. The wooden cabin comes in different modules and each has the capability to be flexible and expandable.

The Project Ö Cabin in the Finnish Archipelago is a beautiful summer cabin designed by Aleksi Hautamäki. Located on a 5-acre island, the main cabin is accompanied by a sauna and a workshop. The entire structure has been inspired by and is an ode to the traditional Finnish Archipelago aesthetics. The cabled roof and long eaves are a result of that.

LaRue Architects renovated a 1950s waterfront cabin in Austin by turning it into a residence inspired by dogtrot houses. This, basically, consists of two structures – the main house and the guest quarters, which are connected by a central breezeway. The result is a revamped yet rustic and homely cabin that is an open-plan living space.

Leckie Studio designed a series of mirrored cabins to be built in a forest in Ontario, Canada. Deemed Arcana, the exact location of the cabins will be kept a secret, and they will be designed to blend into the surrounding forest. A wooden frame and sheets of polished stainless steel will be used to build the hidden cabins!

Mini Blok is a freestanding, simple cabin with a footprint of 21.6m2 that doesn’t require a permit to build or own. Without any foundation anchoring Mini Blok to the ground, the tiny cabin can be positioned in any location, from the backyard to a warehouse. With fully glazed walls, Mini Blok brings you up, close, and personal with nature. Novablok felt inspired to design their collection of tiny cabins, including Mini Blok, to create isolated spaces where working professionals and even individuals looking for a bit of a solitary respite can retreat and work or rest however they like.

Studio Puisto designed a prefabricated and modular cabin called Space of Mind that can be built anywhere. It can be used as a backyard office or as an off-grid retreat! Space of Mind was designed to serve as a hideout, a place to catch a break in this pandemic stricken world. The cabin’s modular interiors allow it to easily adapt to a resident’s changing needs.

The Spanish architecture studio Delavegacanolasso designed a modular, prefabricated cabin called Tini! Tini can be ordered online, and it functions as a home office or a weekend retreat! The cabin arrives assembled, and fully furnished. How convenient is that?!

Built by MuDD Architects, The Writer’s Cabin was designed for a children’s books writer. The cabin was built using digital fabrication, making it quite unique. Local maple wood was used to create a contemporary twist within the otherwise simple and humble cabin.

This cabin is built on Lake Saimaa and is right on the border of lush woods and endless serene water. The prefabricated cabin only takes one day to be assembled. Helsinki-based architecture firm constructed Kynttilä from cross-laminated timber (CLT) with the exteriors featuring larch board cladding. CLT is a wonderfully eco-friendly construction material that offers high strength and structural simplicity for cost-effective buildings. It has a much lighter environmental footprint than concrete or steel.

Homes designed to help you rejuvenate and add balance to your life!

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Our living space can really affect our moods, thoughts, and mindset! A happy and peaceful space means a happy and peaceful mind. Hence, it’s extremely important we create our homes in accordance with what sets our soul on fire! For me, my ideal home would be a cozy little cabin nestled in the woods. I would love to be away from the hustle-bustle of the city and be completely surrounded by nature. This collection of inspirational architectural designs attempt to be homes that heal, calm, and ground you! These warm and wholesome spaces will hopefully capture your heart, the way they did mine!

Liyanage’s Cliff Cabin, as he calls it, suspends from the side of a mountain, hovering in midair. In his 3D conceptualization, Liyanage visualizes Cliff Cabin locked in place above four support beams that are bored into the cliffside to create a secure enough foundation for Cliff Cabin to rest atop. In addition to its bottom support, four high-tensile cables are attached to the cabin’s roof and balance the cabin by drawing it back away from the cliff’s edge, evenly distributing the weight of the cabin. Globular spheres lock the cables in place and add an elegant and tidy touch to the cabin as a whole. Cliff Cabin takes on a primarily triangular shape, with right triangle glass facades sharpening the cabin’s sides and protruding out to their center of convergence.

Modern, minimal, and clean, the Lima cabin boasts an A-frame structure, although it cannot be compared to the traditional A-frame cabins we are so used to. Exquisitely pleasing to the eyes, yet highly functional, the cabin features two main areas or spaces. The two pyramid-shaped structures (which almost look like mountains, as the cabin has been inspired by the surrounding mountains!) represent these two spaces, and they are connected by a corridor, creating an open and spacious holiday home, while efficiently utilizing the square footage of the space. The living room is a beautiful communal space, wherein the residents of the home can lounge about, interact and connect. The wooden kitchen counter and dining table serve as intimate meal spots, where you can share a meal with your family and friends, and nurture the shared holiday spirit.

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To be honest, with the amount of natural beauty Iceland has to offer, and with its 300K population (that’s the entire country), ceilings and walls are A. a hindrance, since they block out the natural beauty of the land, and B. unnecessary, because, with its incredibly low population density, you really don’t need the privacy in the countryside. That’s why the Panorama Glass Lounge is all glass. Instead of beautifying its interiors with trinkets and furniture, it uses the outside’s natural beauty to make the interiors feel complete. The bedroom features all-glass walls, offering a clear panorama of the surrounding beauty as well as perfect views of the night’s sky that lights up with the Aurora Borealis, creating the most beautiful wallpaper you could ever ask for!

Designed and built by Joongwon Architects to minimize the home’s impact on the environment, Lightus Retreat was planned and built around the forest’s existing trees, creating a shape for the home that was defined by the land. Joongwon Architects built Lightus in a heavily wooded area, but they weren’t about to cut down any trees in the process. Moving away from the traditional symmetric and compact modes of vacation home architecture, Joongwon Architects aimed to design a lake house that first took cues from and worked in tandem with the environment. Opting to conceive the layout of Lightus by wrapping it around the forest’s existing trees, the final construction of Lightus forms an irregular and angular shape. Walking through the lake house, juxtaposing architectural accents seep the home in dynamic energy, moving between compressed corridors to open living areas and shadowed walls to bright spaces lit up by natural sunlight.

Italian architects Massimo Gnocchi and Paolo Danesi probably also can’t wait to enjoy some downtime and therefore created the Mountain Refuge to express their desire for travel. The cabin was designed as a ‘refuge for the mind’ and radiates warmth and coziness that relaxes you instantly. The visual aesthetic and interiors have been carefully crafted with earthy tones and natural materials. The sweeping polygonal windows let you soak nature in even if you don’t step outside. It lets in ample sunlight and makes the otherwise small space, spacious. Since it is so compact, the furniture has been kept minimal (in terms of size and design) and the one accent piece is the suspended fireplace which completes the perfect cabin picture.

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A perfect fit amidst Poland’s green terrain is this house, commissioned for a single-family, designed by SK Architekci and visualized by Ideal Arch Visuals. Paying tribute and respect to the greenery, the house has a number of vertical gardens near the side passage and back entrance. It even primarily makes use of wood, to give it a natural aura, and the front facade is made entirely of glass, almost making the house look a little like an idyllic greenhouse among the trees! The house’s exterior has a simple yet striking silhouette that echoes homeliness through its symbolic house shape. Plus, who wouldn’t feel at home amidst such stunning greenery?!

The Resort Manshausen Island in Norway is a collection of beautiful sea-cabins. With exquisite views of the sea and the mountains, it’s the best of both worlds! Located on natural ridges on the terrains, you can enjoy the view through the impressive floor-to-ceiling windows!

Monarch from The Bunkie Co., measures at 12′-6″W x 8′-6”D x 11′-6″H, comes complete with a fully glazed, floor-to-ceiling front-facade and standing seam steel metal cladding all around for a generally thicker grade of steel compared to typical metal cladding. While owners of Monarch have the choice of getting standard dual airflow vents installed onsite by the contractor, the rest of the tiny cabin comes outfitted with R22 insulated walls and floors, so Monarch could practically function as an escape from home on a year-round basis. Inside, Monarch can accommodate a small electric fireplace with heat control, as well as additional storage cabinets and table furniture like chairs and fold-out desks.

Nestled in a pine forest in Xin Yu City of the Jiangxi Province of China is a mushroom-shaped wooden house! Resembling a wild mushroom, the 50 square meter home was constructed by ZJJZ Architecture Practice. The spacious wooden architecture is a private haven in the serene forests of China and was designed to maintain a symbolic connection with nature. And indeed the structure really does harmoniously blend with its greenery-rich surroundings! The wooden house consists of two sections – the main mushroom-shaped area which comprises the bedroom. The bedroom features a panoramic window which provides amazing views of the surrounding landscape. You can sit on chairs and gaze at the lush greenery.

Imminent Studio and Grafito Design Studio have teamed up to create Dwelling Pod or D-Pod for short, a mono-volume residence inspired by the shape and form of a minivan and the functionality of modernism. While D-Pod hovers somewhere above the architectural category of ‘cabin,’ its design and aesthetic follow today’s trend of prefabricated ‘cabins in the woods.’ Constructed from concrete, glass, and metallic material, D-Pod is “based on the concept of lightness,” as Grafito Design Studio puts it, “where the separation of the ground is sought and lifted; its internal functional modules also use this concept of being ‘separated’ from the floor and ceiling.” In fact, D-Pod’s mono-volume nature makes it so that walls or dividers are unnecessary.

This wooden cabin comes in a flat-pack DIY kit so you can assemble your own tiny holiday home!

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Cabin-design company Den has launched a flat-packed, kit-of-parts for a steeply pitched cabin, known as an A-frame, that can be assembled in just a few days.

The 115-square-foot (10.68-square-metre) Den Cabin Kit has slanted wooden walls with a large triangular window. It is designed to be an ideal guest house, yoga studio or study.

Prefabricated in New York, the kit has pre-drilled holes and includes everything from the wooden structural parts that lock together, to bolts and even door hardware – details Den said make the project stand out from other flat-packed structures.

“Under the hood – or roof, ha – we have components that are cut with CNC precision, a design that slots together intuitively, and a kit so complete even the door hardware is included so you won’t need to make any trips to the hardware store,” the New York-based team told Dezeen.

“The cabin bolts and screws together and all the holes are pre-drilled making for fast assembly.”

Den Cabin Kit is designed to be built with minimal equipment including a ratchet set, a power drill, a ladder, step ladder and a staple gun. Flat-packed materials arrive stacked according to the order in which they are needed during the build, as part of an ambition to make construction as easy as possible.

“If you don’t have any construction experience you can certainly make up for it with tenacity, and a few friends to help you with the job,” Den explained.”Building something even as easy as this still requires some hutzpah mind you,” the company added. “You need to be comfortable on a ladder a story off the ground to set the ridge cap and screw in the roofing panels, and you and your friends (or team) need to be careful with the large windows while setting them in place.”

Den suggests novice builders employ a contractor to bolster the structure if it is being built on a sloped site, or in an area with harsher weather, and also to help set foundations – which it likens to the same basic requirements as a shed. The cabin is intended to touch the ground lightly so it can be disassembled and rebuilt elsewhere, and constructed without nails for the same reason.

Despite its light touch, the team said the cabin is still robust and well-insulated in harsh weather conditions. “Even though it’s ‘semi-permanent’ in this regard it’s no less a building and can withstand the harshest elements, with four-season compatibility,” it explained.

Owners can choose from three types of exterior cladding: either black Forest and silver Alpine metal or cedar shingles. They can also add a propane heater provided by Den.

Designer: Den

These wildlife-inspired futuristic cabins suspend off the cliffs like StarWars jets ready for takeoff!

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Thilina Liyanage is a Sri Lankan 3D visualizer who conceptualized architectural fortresses that resemble wildlife, including villas that bend over mountainsides or a yacht club whose roof flexes into the curve of a manta ray’s backside. Developed to be constructed entirely from sustainable building material like bamboo and responsibly harvested wooden chutes, some of Thilina Liyanage’s 3D visualizations take a different approach. For example, one of his recent designs finds futuristic glass and metallic cabins inspired by the shape of dolphins puncturing a cliffside overlooking the ocean.

Similar to his Cliff Cabin 3D visualization, Liyanage’s Futuristic Ocean Cabins are lodged into a tropical mountainside, piercing the cliff to suspend in midair with a cantilever structure. Resembling the shape of a dolphin’s body, the Futuristic Ocean Cabins doubly mimic the rugged science fiction aesthetic of Star Wars, stationed on the cliffside like resistance X-Wing fighter jets ready for battle. Liyanage envisioned each structure bored into the cliffside with angled steel beams wrapped in concrete and yanked tight on their horizontal planes with four high-tensile suspension cables to create enough support for each cabin’s foundation. Accessible from an adjacent steel staircase, the interiors of Liyanage’s Futuristic Ocean Cabins come complete with enough space for a bathroom, sleeping area, kitchen, as well as a small living area.

Coated with glass facades reinforced with a concrete framework, Liyanage envisioned a future getaway that hinges on a transparent, exposed external structure and linear, open-air internal space. Jutting out from their cliffside foundation with the same tension of Star Wars III, the true thrill of Liyanage’s Futuristic Ocean Cabins rests in their support methods (four high-tensile suspension cables and one main support beam bored into the cliffside) to keep its cantilever structure horizontal over the bustling ocean below.

Designer: Thilina Liyanage

The wildlife of the mountainside merges with the futuristic structure of Futuristic Ocean Cabins to create a rugged, sci-fi escapist hideaway.

Bored into the mountainside, Thilina Liyanage’s Futuristic Ocean Cabins remain suspended over the sea.

The cabin’s glass facade framed with concrete give it a rugged look fit for the set of Star Wars.

Inside, the linear layout of each cabin allows space for a living and sleeping area, as well as a kitchen and bathroom.





In addition to the cabins’ beam foundation support, four high-tensile suspension cables sling the cabins horizontally over the ocean.

A vertical steel staircase grants access to each cabin’s interior space.

The cabin’s cantilever design gives it the thrilling edge that Thilina Liyanage is quickly becoming known for.

Equipped with all the amenities and utilities that one might need, the thrill of living above the ocean is balanced with human comforts like AC and septic tanks.

The Top 10 cabin designs that are a breath of fresh air compared to traditional A-frame cabins!

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Quaint and cosy cabins nestled in idyllic spots are my idea of an ideal vacation! Destressing and relaxing in the midst of lush greenery, while leaving behind all your urban woes, just sounds so tempting! We’ve seen our fair share of conventional A-frame cabins. They never go out of style, and they’re always so comfortable and homely to stay in. As great as a quintessential A-frame cabin can be, we’ve gone a step further and curated a collection of unique and unconventional cabin designs that will have you drooling over them! These innovative cabin designs will surely make their way to your must-visit bucket list. It’s time to start planning your post-pandemic vacation!

Algorithms helped design the shape of this Japanese holiday retreat! Designed for idyllic Hokkaido in Japan, the YEZO is a retreat that uses its dramatic landscape and an experimental design approach to create a sanctuary in nature. The YEZO’s overall design is a fusion of both aesthetics and algorithms, optimized for fabrication from one single mold to minimize ecological impact and reduce manufacturing cost and delivery time. It features a unique curved roof that not only creates a spacious interior but even provides a channel for the central chimney while creating a small terrace/skylight in the process. The wooden roof shell structure, clad with regional black slate, consists of sustainable GluLam (glue-laminated) timber beams suspended from a central concrete chimney. “YEZO’s curved GluLam beams are carefully shaped to operate in pure tension throughout, resulting in weight and material reductions of 90% compared to straight beams”, say Kristof and Julien, the designers behind the award-winning retreat. The YEZO Retreat is a winner of the Golden Pin Design Award for the year 2020.

Designed by Nestron,  Cube Two is a 263-square-foot home that is designed for the future and smart living. This modern compact home is a prefabricated structure that already comes fitted with the latest home appliances that can all be controlled by an AI assistant named Canny. The exterior has smooth curved corners that give it a friendly vibe and the interior offers enough space for a family of four to live comfortably with two bedrooms and an open living area. To make it feel roomier, there is a skylight that runs across the ceiling and floods the space with natural light, and also provides a wonderful frame of the night sky.

Constructed from concrete, glass, and metallic material, D-Pod is “based on the concept of lightness,” as Grafito Design Studio puts it, “where the separation of the ground is sought and lifted; its internal functional modules also use this concept of being ‘separated’ from the floor and ceiling.” In fact, D-Pod’s mono-volume nature makes it so that walls or dividers are unnecessary. Aiming to create an interior of spatial fluidity, the ‘rooms’ inside D-Pod flow into one another without the added impediment of walls or physical boundaries. With transparent, floor-to-ceiling walls enclosing the entirety of D-Pod, the dwelling’s interior expands the visual space, dissolving D-Pod’s only walls into the environment that surrounds it.

The Diamanten Cabin, which is positioned atop a cylindrical support pillar in Oppdal, Norway, was constructed within its mountainous, pre-existing framework. The architects with A38 Arkitekter centralized environmental harmony in designing their winter annex; adjacent log cabins punctuate corners of the valley where the diamond-shaped cabin perks. The final structure is visually enigmatic, but chameleon-like in its commitment to reinvigorating, yet respecting the community to which it belongs. Nestled nearby traditionally vibrant timber cabins, the Diamanten Cabin is unassuming in size, with a total of only a single, open room. However, The Diamanten’s artistry is found not in its size, but in the way it appeals to the landscape and vernacular structures that cradle it. The frame of the cabin is structured so that the roof cascades gracefully in the direction of the massive mountain that frames its larger community.

Imagine a cabin that envelops you in the landscape through its design – that is exactly the feeling Jorge Luis Veliz Quintana envisioned with his cabin design located on the edge of mountains in Cuba! It is an organic refuge for those who want to connect with nature and disconnect from the world. The cabin brings in panoramic views of the landscape while also visually blending in the natural setting with its carefully chosen CMF. The unique cocoon shape structures are perched on giant boulders and each cabin spans over an area of 150sqm. The curved wooden lattices sit on concrete platforms which match the grey tones of the cliff which makes it seem like the cabin is born out of the rocks itself and is levitating – I absolutely love it when designers pay attention to smaller details in their CMF which makes their concept truly one with the surroundings and it is visually soothing.

Designed to be a cozy private retreat that sits just a few feet away from your home, the Workstation Cabin gives you the advantage of a great working den that’s surrounded by nature. Its edgy, polygonal design looks great from both the inside as well as outside, as designers Hello Wood Studio (pioneers of the Hungarian cabin movement) constructed the 8-square-meter unique wooden house using wood panels and huge windows that let the natural light in. Made so that it can be the extra room your house needs (now that everyone’s stuck indoors), the Workstation Cabin is an insulated and soundproof room that can easily serve as a “workstation, a meeting room, a kids playroom, and a perfect hiding place if you are looking for a quiet space to read, relax and exercise”, according to the designers.

This cluster of prefab cabins is located in a Slovakian forest for Hotel Björnson but can also be stand-alone homes. The minimalist shelters have a Scandinavian aesthetic and give you an eco-friendly getaway with minimal environmental impact. Ark Shelter has also won a Cezaar award in the category Architectural Fenomena – a recognition for the most exceptional architectural achievements of the year. The modern retreat is made of 11 cabins and four wellness units that include saunas and relaxation rooms. The shelters are built in one piece, which gives the incredible mobility to reach your dream location. Every cabin rests on stilts to minimize site impact and has been carefully placed in between the trees to give you maximum privacy and maximum views!

This conceptual glamping pod is called Lara! The minimal circular cabin is a luxurious treat we deserve! One of Lara’s most exclusive features is a round patio complete with a jacuzzi and a lounging area. While the cabin is envisioned to be set amidst trees to provide privacy, the designer has added a handful of plants to brighten up the woody design of the patio. The white exterior contrasts elegantly with the lush natural location. The tiny cabin’s ground level hosts a sem-circular room with a modern fireplace – the ones where there is a slit in the stone for the flames! It also has a fully functioning bathroom, however, the provisions for a pantry or a small cooking space are missing for now.

Liyanage’s Cliff Cabin, as he calls it, suspends from the side of a mountain, hovering in midair. In his 3D conceptualization, Liyanage visualizes Cliff Cabin locked in place above four support beams that are bored into the cliffside to create a secure enough foundation for Cliff Cabin to rest atop. In addition to its bottom support, four high-tensile cables are attached to the cabin’s roof and balance the cabin by drawing it back away from the cliff’s edge, evenly distributing the weight of the cabin. Globular spheres lock the cables in place and add an elegant and tidy touch to the cabin as a whole. Cliff Cabin takes on a primarily triangular shape, with right triangle glass facades sharpening the cabin’s sides and protruding out to their center of convergence.

Nestled within the mountainous terrain of Stowe, Vermont, a town known for its ski slopes and trails, is the Vermont Cabin. Built by Olson Kundig, the Vermont Cabin is a compact little home for a family that has owned property in this snowy region for generations. Occupying a humble space of 750-square-foot, Kundig designed the Vermont Cabin, keeping in mind that “The client brief called for a small, straightforward family cabin in the tradition of the Vermont cabins they grew up with.” Surrounded by white pines and maples, the intimate home has been divided into three levels. The lowest level is settled comfortably within the site, and contains a garage that also doubles up as a fun game room! A single bedroom and a powder room are also included in this level. The middle story consists of the main entry, two small bedrooms, and a bathroom.

Architecture meets Tesla in these futuristic cabin designs!

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These Futuristic Cabin Designs are breaking the conventions of modern architecture! We’re all used to the traditional A-frame cabins, and honestly, some of our favorite getaway spots are these quintessential cabins. They’re homely, warm and instantly put us at ease. However, architects have been expanding the boundaries of cabins, and the results have been architectural wonders that are innovative and futuristic. These futuristic cabins are not only supremely cool looking, but they also sport advanced functionality. I mean there’s a smart cabin out there that can be controlled by an AI assistant! How cool is that? And we’ve curated some groundbreaking cabin designs that are paving the path for the future of architecture. These modern cabin designs will certainly steal a spot on your must-visit bucket list!

Cube Two is a 263-square-foot home that is designed for the future and smart living. This modern compact home is a prefabricated structure that already comes fitted with the latest home appliances that can all be controlled by an AI assistant named Canny. The exterior has smooth curved corners that give it a friendly vibe and the interior offers enough space for a family of four to live comfortably with two bedrooms and an open living area. To make it feel roomier, there is a skylight that runs across the ceiling and floods the space with natural light, and also provides a wonderful frame of the night sky.

The Livit Studypod is a futuristic black-box style cube that you can place anywhere you want and focus on your work, study, or even health! This composite cube structure works as your bedroom, home office, or study table and is designed for outdoor use. Easy to place on your backyard, garden, or anywhere with a view, the black-tinted hardened glass window gives an unobstructed view of your scenery. Since the cube is a closed structure, it keeps you safe from the weather across the year. Measuring 2.15 x 1.8 x 2.1 meters, this cube is perfectly sized for you to style it for your comfort, improving your headspace and keeping you stress-free. The pod does weigh 700 kilos but it also comes with optional wheels that let you move it and settle down for a quick change of scenery! The pod has oak flooring, a detachable desk, a power outlet, four downlights, and natural ventilation to keep the place airy.

There’s a new RV pulling into the campsite from the team behind Bowlus Road Chief, known as the world’s first aluminum travel trailer, and it’s the debut of their latest luxury RV, the Terra Firma. For most, RVs are so beloved because they offer the thrill of traveling off-the-grid while catering to the convenience of modern-day amenities like running water and filtered air. Boasting that and so much more, the Terra Firma tailgates Bowlus Road Chief’s Endless Highways Performance Edition, complete with the same 26-foot length body, reflective chrome exterior, in-floor heating system, and large lithium iron phosphate battery pack that allows for a week’s worth of off-grid traveling.

Mirrored cabins look beautiful because they blend into the landscape naturally. However, the biggest problem mirrored cabins have is that they confuse birds and cause many accidents resulting in bird deaths. Keeping this in mind,  Prashant Ashoka who designed Casa Etérea’s made sure that this modern cabin will not be detrimental to birds that live in areas surrounding the dormant Palo Huérfano volcano in central Mexico. Apart from birds, the reflective structure is also self-sustaining and environmentally friendly! Nestled just 20 minutes from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (a UNESCO World Heritage Site),  Casa Etérea provides breathtaking views of the volcanic and starry landscape. “The vision was to create a theatre to nature, so sustainability was crucial in achieving a truly complete integration with the environment,” explains Ashoka.

Glamping pods and cabins are cool but what if I tell you there is a portable shelter literally designed by the best in the game? Jupe is a luxe pod with a sci-fi-inspired design made by a team of multidisciplinary experts from across the housing, architecture, and engineering industries, including former SpaceX, Tesla, and Airbnb team members for modern travelers looking to escape their urban life and dive into nature. The glowing geometric structure and angular surfaces resemble a cut diamond or an interstellar shuttle more than age-old structures like RVs, cabins, tents, or yurts traditionally used for getaways. Jupe is a portable off-grid shelter that flatpacks so you can pick any spot on the planet and pitch your tent.

 Poland-based Wojciech Morsztyn designed the Ocean Community, an ocean-based domestic habitat (I’d call it a yacht, but that wouldn’t really be accurate) that lets humans essentially live and form colonies at sea. The idea of the Ocean Community vessel is to extend a city’s coastline. By existing not more than 800 meters from the coast of a city, the dwellers of the Ocean Community can easily make their way to the city to access facilities and enjoy a normal city life before heading back to their sea-based home. It’s a futuristic cabin in the middle of the ocean!

Designer Jun Young Kim’s Renault E.O (Everybody Own Your Space) is a hyper pod of the future – which is more like a second home – giving one the flexibility to be ultra-productive in a distraction-free ambient environment or simply relax with family and friends enjoying the visual elements that traverse you to a place of calm and serenity. The smart glass encapsulating the upper section of the pod can be set to any natural environment mimicking the scene to isolate yourself from the chaos of the outside world. It has two separate modes – Working Day and Resting Day which have interiors tailored for the specific profile. The former is more airy and casual while the latter has a professional setup with things like a movable display and focus aiding distraction-free setup. These cabins fit as easily as a Lego piece in the movable pod, so you could be in the beast mode for the complete week and then exchange it up for the weekends to get some quality time.

Architecture Studio Wiki World built this set of cabins in Yichang, China. The futuristic reflective cabins have been made from reflective metal materials. They feature pointy roofs that look like they are piercing through the clouds. The cabins were built to look as if they were ‘floating’ in the forest, creating an intriguing other-worldly feel. The construction of the cabins left a minimal impact and damage on the forest, leading to architectural structures that are at one with nature and the surrounding greenery.

Constructed from concrete, glass, and metallic material, D-Pod is “based on the concept of lightness,” as Grafito Design Studio puts it, “where the separation of the ground is sought and lifted; its internal functional modules also use this concept of being ‘separated’ from the floor and ceiling.” In fact, D-Pod’s mono-volume nature makes it so that walls or dividers are unnecessary. Aiming to create an interior of spatial fluidity, the ‘rooms’ inside D-Pod flow into one another without the added impediment of walls or physical boundaries. With transparent, floor-to-ceiling walls enclosing the entirety of D-Pod, the dwelling’s interior expands the visual space, dissolving D-Pod’s only walls into the environment that surrounds it.

Located on a slight incline at the edge of a forest, Nerovnya’s secluded and spacious vacation home YORK house is the ultimate get-away we have all been crossing our fingers for! In adherence to his design philosophy, Nerovnya uses bare geometrical shapes in an unusual and unique manner, and this time he decided to make “a common gable roof” the star of the structure. Functioning as a beautiful holiday destination for huge groups of friends and family, YORK house comprises a three-story structure, incorporating four bedrooms with individual bathrooms, that can accommodate up to eight people or more. Each bedroom provides a serene view of the stunning outdoor surroundings, amped by the fact that the house is located on an inclined edge.

Traditional and cozy A-frame cabins that prove this architectural trend will never fade away!

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There’s something about an A-frame cabin that instantly puts you at ease and makes you feel at home. I personally love cabin getaways and spending the weekend, nestled away in the woods, in a quintessential and humble A-frame cabin, is my idea of the perfect stress buster! Away from the hustle-bustle of the city, and surrounded by the warm sun, lush trees, and gentle wind. What could be better than that? So, we’ve curated a collection of super cozy and welcoming A-frame cabins that promise to help you relax, rejuvenate and connect with nature. Add these cabins to your must-visit bucket list and get planning!

Literally meaning ‘zero’ in Finnish, Nolla was designed by Falck for Finnish renewable energy company Neste’s ‘Journey to Zero’ campaign, in an effort to build a world with minimal emissions. Functioning entirely on renewable energy, the cabin is located on the Vallisaari island, near Helsinki. It has been built entirely using sustainable materials such as local plywood and pine. In an attempt to encourage visitors to maintain a ‘zero waste lifestyle’, every element has been designed with the hope of not leaving behind any carbon footprint. Covered by mirrors and supported by wooden stilts, it excludes modern commodities. Nolla is powered by emission-free solar panels, and a Wallas stove that runs on Neste’s MY renewable diesel is provided for heating and cooking purposes.

 Designed especially to bring people closer to the great outdoors, Bivvi is a modular and transportable A-frame cabin that can either be attached to your car for road trips or to a chosen foundation for permanent placement. The creators at Bivvi make up a team of travelers and adventure-seekers– they built Bivvi so that we can be too. They set out to build Bivvi after noticing the inherently immobile and expensive nature of cabins and other modes of residence for travelers already on the market. Taking on mobility as their main source of inspiration, each Bivvi Cabin can be attached to a trailer hitch and tow so that they can be transported anywhere. The team behind Bivvi even outfit their A-frame cabins with off-grid capabilities including three 600W AC outlets and a 100W solar panel, so they really do mean anywhere.

Kujdane retains the best of the old while blending it with the new – it still has that A-frame silhouette like your traditional cabin in the woods but take a step closer and you’ll see that the structure has been tweaked with modern architectural elements. Wood is of course the element of choice (I told you, cabin in the woods!) to evoke that warm, cozy, cabin vibe and is complimented with cool-toned interior details for balance. The cabin is elevated by the sloping A-frame sides which makes it look like it is effortlessly hovering above ground level without visible stilts or pillars. To keep you immersed within the natural surroundings, the front is all glass for sweeping views of the forest. The duplex-style structure has been divided into an upper zone and lower zone – the sleep and work setup is upstairs while the living kitchen and dining are downstairs. The lower floor also extends out to a small outdoor deck.

Studio Edwards’ Base Cabin gives the micro-living designs a whole new angle – literally! The angular shape of this tiny house on wheels makes it stand out while still being subtle. Inspired by the typical A-frame cabins in the woods and airstream trailers, this little home is built on a tri-axle trailer. “The A-frame is structurally efficient and uses less material than conventional portal framed buildings. Mute in its appearance and clad in black rubber makes it blend into its surroundings,” says the team. Don’t be fooled by its size, the Base Cabin comes fully equipped with a queen-size bedroom, living room, bathroom, and kitchenette. The angular paneling makes for a cozy bedroom setting with the A-frame roof. The roof lights help conserve energy and the accordion-like windows open up completely to make the home more spacious and airy.

Reinterpreting the A-frame cabin through a contemporary perspective, designer Amin Moazzen conceptualized Cabin of Hope, a 3D visualization of a cantilevered triplex cabin designed to function as an escape from today’s world. Moazzen’s Cabin of Hope fuses indoor and outdoor living with its main cantilevered A-frame structure that opens up to a veranda overlooking the nearby lake. Shaped like a zig-zag, all three A-frame structures that give rise to the Cabin of Hope are connected at the cabin’s wooden deck base and interwoven outdoor walkway. To achieve an air of contemporary design, Moazzen blended the traditional aspects of cabins like wooden foundations and exposed beams with more modern edges like LED window frames and optic white finishes that cool down the wood’s smokier accents. Dark wooden beams line the angled walls inside each A-frame cabin, further showcasing Moazzen’s commitment to bridging classic cottage elements with notes of contemporary escapism.

Like a lantern in the night, La Invernada glows underneath the canopies of a forest in Curicó, Chile. The small, cantilever cabin, built for weekend getaways, rests atop a distant river and displays intimate views of the sky from any one of the three floors inside. La Invernada, designed by Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados (GAAA), comes alive at night with warm, white light and glitters with tree branch shadows during the day, thanks to the structure’s clever textile combination of thermoplastic, pinewood, and mesh building material. Despite the show it gives, La Invernada wasn’t built to stand out, but blend into the forest it now calls home. During the day, the 580-square-foot home is concealed by rows of dozens of trees that create shadows between the three-tiered cabin’s polycarbonate walls. Then, come sundown, La Invernada turns into a nest full of warmth.

Designed by Sri Lanka-based Thilina Liyanage, the Ocean Cabin is a neat, A-frame cabin precariously built on a giant boulder facing the ocean. The A-frame design gives the cabin a sharp, jagged appeal that matches the rocky beach below… but the interiors are exceptionally warm and inviting, with an all-wood design, and a bar counter to greet you as soon as you enter! You’ll have to climb multiple flights of stairs before you make it in; although, on a sunny day, that should give you a spectacular view of the coast ahead of you as well as of the lush greenery behind you. The cabin sits on stilts, giving you the advantage of altitude during high tides, while the complete glass facade on the front of the cabin ensures you always have a panoramic ocean-facing view during the day.

Modern, minimal, and clean, the Lima cabin boasts an A-frame structure, although it cannot be compared to the traditional A-frame cabins we are so used to. Exquisitely pleasing to the eyes, yet highly functional, the cabin features two main areas or spaces. The two pyramid-shaped structures (which almost look like mountains, as the cabin has been inspired by the surrounding mountains!) represent these two spaces, and they are connected by a corridor, creating an open and spacious holiday home, while efficiently utilizing the square footage of the space. The living room is a beautiful communal space, wherein the residents of the home can lounge about, interact and connect. The wooden kitchen counter and dining table serve as intimate meal spots, where you can share a meal with your family and friends, and nurture the shared holiday spirit.

Committed to sustainability and green design, Eshtiyaghi’s buildings typically gleam with a minimalist polish, offering a striking contrast to the epic environments where Eshtiyaghi chooses to place them. Milad Eshtiyaghi aimed to achieve this same air of duality with Suspended House, a reinterpreted A-frame cabin that hangs off a California cliffside with the help of five high-tensile support cables. Peeking out from the cliffs of Mendocino, California, Suspended House hovers in midair. In his rendering, Eshtiyaghi conceptualized Suspended House after choosing its cliffside location. To ensure that the structure would hold tight and remain in place, Eshtiyaghi looked to using five high-tensile support cables and a large foundation mast. The large mast works by balancing the forces of gravity and gently ‘tugging’ the A-frame cabin towards the mast for it to remain upright. In addition to the large foundation mast, five high-tensile support cables securely lodge the cabin in place from all sides.

AYFRAYM cabin’s A-shaped design at first glance brings to mind childhood memories of fairytale settings, with a modern twist that makes this three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a vaulted kitchen a must-have for a weekend getaway! ‘Everything starts with the box of plans’, the company explains. ‘In other words, there will never be an AYFRAYM that is built, without first purchasing our plans so that the customer has access to all the right specs and information necessary to build one.’

This sustainable mirrored cabin has a special ultraviolet coating that helps avoid bird accidents!

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Mirrored cabins look beautiful because they blend into the landscape naturally. However, the biggest problem mirrored cabins have is that they confuse birds and cause many accidents resulting in bird deaths. A mirror can be psychologically damaging to a bird because it cannot perceive reflection and confuses it with reality so it might try to fly through the mirror or attack its own reflection thinking it’s another bird.  Keeping this in mind,  Prashant Ashoka who designed Casa Etérea’s made sure that this modern cabin will not be detrimental to birds that live in areas surrounding the dormant Palo Huérfano volcano in central Mexico. Apart from birds, the reflective structure is also self-sustaining and environmentally friendly!

Nestled just 20 minutes from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (a UNESCO World Heritage Site),  Casa Etérea provides breathtaking views of the volcanic and starry landscape. “The vision was to create a theatre to nature, so sustainability was crucial in achieving a truly complete integration with the environment,” explains Ashoka. Not only does the glass and mirror exterior reflect the hillsides and mesquite trees, but a special patterned, ultraviolet coating allows birds to see it as a structure that eliminates the risk of impact. The off-the-grid cabin can host two people comfortably within the 75-square-meter space. It is 100% powered by solar panels and includes all amenities for a comfortable stay like a king-sized bed, a luxurious living space, a kitchen and laundry facilities. Casa Etérea includes a water harvesting system that collects and reuses rainwater for daily activities and is enough to fill the striking copper bathtub perched next to the bed. Ashoka chose natural materials like jute, leather, wood, and stone to align the interior aesthetic with the scenic setting of the cabin while keeping sustainability at its core.

To ensure minimal site impact, the entire foundation was formed from rocks collected from the surrounding mountain. Casa Etérea is positioned in a way that allows for effective ventilation and the insulating glass regulates temperature control – it is highly energy-efficient without sacrificing the panoramic views from the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. You can open the cabin to the outdoors and step directly onto the patio or enjoy the pool area olive and pomegranate trees provide natural shade. Ashoka also wanted to engage the local community meaningfully so guests at the cabin will be connected with local providers for activities like horseback riding, guided hikes, and ATV tours. The name Etérea translates from Spanish to ethereal, and the cabin’s design embodies the art, beauty and connection to the natural environment in every element that holds it up.

Designer: Prashant Ashoka