Tag Archives: Cabin Designs

The top 10 cabin designs of February are here to provide the perfect architectural escapism!

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Cabin designs are my favorite – there is something undeniably beautiful yet modern in these tiny homes that occupy a tiny part of my heart every time. Be it a traditional A-Frame cabin or a modern AI-enabled cabin design, each unique design is an architectural marvel. I would prefer nothing better than lounging about in a peaceful little cabin tucked away in the middle of the woods. Away from the world, society, and the Internet! It’s 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 cabin designs Yanko Design has seen this February, that are sure to give you the travel bug!

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.

Putting an absolutely new kind of spin on “Home Delivery”, Brette Haus’ prefabricated cabins are literally shipped to your location on the back of a trailer. In a matter of 3 hours, the home is placed on the site, unfolded, and secured in place, turning it from one weird wooden carton into a liveable cabin with anywhere between 22 to 47 sq.ft. of space (depending on the cabin’s variant).

Blackbird is a getaway cabin by STIPFOLD that exists as “a place to be by oneself.” The getaway cabin, an angular structure of black mass combined with tinted glass and a jagged, haphazard display of metal beams, resembles a spaceship that can land in any environment. As conceptualized, Blackbird has landed in a Georgian forest clearing, amidst dense fog and textured pine trees, where it appears right at home. From the outside, below a white, cloudy sky, Blackbird’s asymmetrical frame has a tough exterior constructed from metal to provide a sense of security. Meant to dissolve the barrier between nature and the interior, the tinted glass windows evoke a feeling of privacy, like a lookout that allows its residents to remain hidden while scanning their surroundings.

Studio Puisto, a sustainable interior design studio based in Finland, recently debuted the first prototype of cabins soon to be part of a larger hospitality project called Kivijärvi Resort. The resort’s first completed cabin is called Niliaitta, which refers to the traditional storage structure built at the end of a high pillar, used by the Sámi people to store food and equipment, keeping it safe from the grasp of hungry or curious wildlife. In order to immerse guests of Kivijärvi Resort in the elements of nature as safely, but also as close as possible, Studio Puisto installed a floor-to-ceiling window that stands some distance from the cabin’s deep gable roof. From Niliaitta’s front-facing window, guests enjoy the most dominant landscapes as the cabin’s location was purposefully selected to offer the most unobstructed views of Finland’s forest and nearby body of water.

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.

The Mountain Refuge 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. It is made to be compact and optimizes the space while taking up the least in nature.

Situated in the Chelav Mountains of Iran’s Mazandaran province sits a beautifully built and serene cabin. Created by Iranian architects Mohammad Hossein Rabbani Zade and Mohammad Mahmoodiye, the structure has been deemed the Lima Cabin. The Lima Cabin and its surrounding mountain landscape is a far cry from the dry, hot, and sandy images of Iran that have been encapsulated in our minds. The architectural escape looks like the perfect vacation getaway, tucked in the midst of trees and lush greenery, promising peace, silence, and a clean break from our bustling everyday lives. 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.

Dwelling on Wheels is a 220-square-feet cabin on wheels that buyers can bring with them on the road and situate on coastlines or nearby riverbeds for overnight stays and views. Built to withstand varying climates and temperatures, a steel rib cage and standing seam metal siding wraps around the exterior of DW for a durable and weather-tight finish. Complementing the industrial cottage design, red cedar wood accents warm up the walls, eaves, and even the tiny home’s awning that hangs overhead a durable, ironwood deck, accessible through the dwelling’s double-pane glazed gable door.

Attention all automobile fanatics…and design enthusiasts! If your love for automobiles and architecture has never met before, well they have now in Chris Labrooy’s Winter Cabin. Labrooy wedged the classic Volvo 240 into a quintessential cabin. The Volvo 240 was a vintage wonder, though long and slow, it was considered the ideal family car. Honest and dependable, the 1974’s car became a member of a number of households. Hence it’s no surprise that Labrooy merged it with an adorable little red and white cabin, perfect for those family getaways during the winter vacations. However, Labrooy’s version of the car comprises of two Volvo 240s combined together, creating an inverted mirror image. Slide the structure into a cabin, and you have a quirky architectural concept perfect for all those vintage automobile lovers, who want to take a trip down memory lane!

Meet the Birdbox, a prefabricated shipping container-like cabin by Livit that offers one-of-a-kind escapes to lush destinations surrounded by nature. The cabins are simple, rectangular structures with huge circular and oval windows to give you a larger than life view of nature. Just like the exterior, the interior also has minimal decor which makes for a cozy space with a queen bed and a handful of chairs. The Birdboxes come in two sizes currently – the “Mini” at 10.5’ x 7.2’ x 7.2’ “Mini” and the “Medi” at 16.7’ x 7.87’ x 7.87’.” There’s also a separate “Birdbox Bathroom” which features a black tint one-way glass floor-to-ceiling window.

Boat architect, Kurt Hughes, has designed a tiny home in Central Washington modeled after the lunar lander module and it is truly as close as us civilians can get to having a literal out-of-this-world stay. Hughes handcrafted this tiny home to combine his love for houses and boats, and while we have seen many tiny homes having one that looks like a spaceship capsule is exciting! Why the lunar lander? Because it was a home and a ship. Obviously, it is not as technically complex as a real NASA lunar lander, so living won’t require any special training and it will certainly be more comfortable. Unlike the real Apollo 11 module, this Lunar Lander is very spacious on the inside. The 250 square feet hexagonal pod weighs 3000 pounds and sits on the banks of Columbia river so you have a lot of open ‘space’. There is a small deck for the inhabitants to enjoy the view and Hughes tried to make sure the pod has a minimum impact on the environment around it.

Can’t stop scrolling for more cabin designs? Check out more innovative designs featured on YD here!

The Top 10 winter cabins that provide the perfect architectural escapism!

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Though winter is far from around the corner, I do love fantasising about snowy skies and chilly weather! It’s my favorite time of the year, something I look forward to as the months pass by. And just thinking about a winter getaway gets me all jazzed up! Anytime, anyone proposes a quaint getaway during Christmas break, I’m the first one packing my bags. Bundled up in coats, and sipping on hot cocoa in a little cabin in the woods, with swirls of snowflakes fluttering outside the window, is my idea of an ideal vacation. As an ode to past and future winter getaways, we’ve curated a collection of cosy, comfy and super cute winter homes that’ll make for the perfect holiday destination this coming winter. Make your plans and be ready to book your tickets, because these spaces will definitely be at the top of your holiday bucket list!

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.

Studio Puisto, a sustainable interior design studio based in Finland, recently debuted the first prototype of cabins soon to be part of a larger hospitality project called Kivijärvi Resort. The resort’s first completed cabin is called Niliaitta, which refers to the traditional storage structure built at the end of a high pillar, used by the Sámi people to store food and equipment, keeping it safe from the grasp of hungry or curious wildlife. In order to immerse guests of Kivijärvi Resort in the elements of nature as safely, but also as close as possible, Studio Puisto installed a floor-to-ceiling window that stands some distance from the cabin’s deep gable roof. From Niliaitta’s front-facing window, guests enjoy the most dominant landscapes as the cabin’s location was purposefully selected to offer the most unobstructed views of Finland’s forest and nearby body of water. The cabin itself is painted twilight black to disappear into the darkness come night, but the warm, wooden panels that line Niliaitta’s interiors provide a cozy refuge that glows with relaxed, ambient lighting.

FLEXSE is a prefabricated micro-dwelling solution aka tiny house designed to adapt to ALL seasons, so even if winter wonderland is not your thing, this cabin will certainly be. The cozy modern structure is constructed entirely from 100% recyclable materials and can be assembled in parts on-site or positioned on foundations, allowing it to be set up in remote areas, the countryside, or even on water. Since the construction industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than aviation (12% vs 2% – can you believe it?), it is wonderful to see an all-season eco-friendly house. The first prototype was a small BBQ shack intended for cooking and then the team made sure it could be tailored for different purposes too – like a sauna, a guest house, a home office, and more. This eventually led to FLEXE being a complete tiny house. One of its most distinct details is the circular window which almost makes the house look like it has the most elegant monocle with a periscope-like view.

Attention all automobile fanatics…and design enthusiasts! If your love for automobiles and architecture has never met before, well they have now in Chris Labrooy’s Winter Cabin. Labrooy wedged the classic Volvo 240 into a quintessential cabin. The Volvo 240 was a vintage wonder, though long and slow, it was considered the ideal family car. Honest and dependable, the 1974’s car became a member of a number of households. Hence it’s no surprise that Labrooy merged it with an adorable little red and white cabin, perfect for those family getaways during the winter vacations. However, Labrooy’s version of the car comprises of two Volvo 240s combined together, creating an inverted mirror image. Slide the structure into a cabin, and you have a quirky architectural concept perfect for all those vintage automobile lovers, who want to take a trip down memory lane!

The minimalist yet luxurious pod is nestled in the Dents-du-Midi mountain range of Switzerland and has been inspired by Japanese design and elements. The dome is created using a combination of natural materials and sustainable construction keeping it aligned with the hotel’s goal of maintaining spiritual harmony with the delicate alpine ecosystem. To minimize environmental impact, architects raised the pods on platforms and left the surroundings mostly untouched. The eco-pods are perched on an elevated, stadium-style deck giving guests private and unobstructed views of the stunning landscape from almost every angle. The Zen Suite’s central circle is enclosed in curved wooden walls and Japanese-inspired accents like tatami floor mats. The pod itself measures 150 square feet with an additional 220 square feet provided by the connected terrace. The eco-pods, bath box, and platforms are all prefabricated.

This particular hotel almost reminds me of the bunny slope aka level 1 ski slope which really makes it stand out as a winter hotel while naturally blending in its surroundings. Hotels like this usually do better in one season, so their form is more unconventional to make the stay as unique as possible given the niche audience it serves. The gently sloping roofs make it one with the mountains and the top-to-bottom glass windows bring the natural beauty in. An architectural build like this stands out without having too many elements – simple additions like the windows eliminate the need to brighten or add too much decor inside because the surrounding doubles up as the aesthetic.

Stilts keep this small winter cabin elevated above a snow-laden slope in Quebec to protect an outdoor lounge sheltering beneath its base with a warming stove by Delordinaire founders Adrian Hunfalvay, Erwan Lêveque, and Jean Philippe Parent. “This winter chalet uses the stilt typology to create a protected ground floor area with an outdoor stove, providing an unusual space where residents can be amongst nature and the snowy exterior, while still enjoying protection from the elements.”

Winter is slowly revving up and, since quarantine kept us inside from enjoying the usual social perks of summer, we’re all hoping to find ways to make the most of the upcoming snowy season. Recently, new architectural ventures have led to the creation of prefabricated cabins, which very possibly might become winter’s saving grace in the age of COVID-19 Prefabricated cabins such as GROVE CAB, designed by Valerii Shcherbak, help make nature getaways feel a lot cozier and all the more accommodating. This new type of architecture is garnering a lot of popularity in Europe and it’s no surprise. Prefabricated cabins are constructed prioritizing simplicity and modularity. Being that Shcherbak’s cabin is built from wood material and sturdy paneling, each component of GROVE CAB is designed for familiar and intuitive construction, and the light, natural wooden tones help open up each room. The cabin comes in two modules: the first containing a living room or recreation area and your bedroom, and the second comes with a kitchen, bathroom, and exterior patio. The two units are connected where the frames for both of the module’s hallways meet, which creates a space that feels like a one-bedroom home.

Condon Scott Architects utilized Passive House construction to bring Kirimoko to life. Passive House is a fundamental concept that provides indoor, thermal comfort by using energy sources of heat from inside the building. This construction concept requires solid, high-level insulation, and airtight design. Describing the details of the home’s build, Condon Scott says, “With a combination of Passive House measures and structural insulated panels, virtually no additional energy is required to maintain a consistent level of thermal comfort against the backdrop of the unforgiving Central Otago climate.” The builders installed structural insulated panels for the roof and walls of Kirimoko. SIPs are ideal for prefabricated structures because they maintain a solid foam center and are exceptionally airtight, requiring no thermal bridging, which is a form of heat transfer and a major source of energy loss.

OFIS Arhitekti worked with local structural engineers CBD to develop the Kanin Winter Cabin, which is designed to resist extreme weather conditions on its exposed site on Mount Kanin. This tiny 9.7-square-meter cabin has a narrow floor plan containing three shelf-like floors and has dimensions of just 2.4 by 4.9 meters. It is made from a combination of cross-laminated timber, glass, and aluminum panels.

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

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I love each and every kind of vacation, I do not have any prejudices against any, whether it’s by the beach, on a mountaintop, on a cruise in the middle of the ocean – every type of holiday has my heart. However, I do harbor a soft spot for cabin getaways! I would prefer nothing better than lounging about in a peaceful little cabin tucked away in the middle of the woods. Away from the world, society, and the Internet! It’s 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 cabin designs Yanko Design has seen this January, that are sure to give you the travel bug! From a cabin-style eco-hotel to a little pyramid-shaped cabin in the Finnish forest, we’ve got an assortment of cabin designs to match your every mood!

 

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.

Studio Puisto, a sustainable interior design studio based in Finland, recently debuted the first prototype of cabins soon to be part of a larger hospitality project called Kivijärvi Resort. The resort’s first completed cabin is called Niliaitta, which refers to the traditional storage structure built at the end of a high pillar, used by the Sámi people to store food and equipment, keeping it safe from the grasp of hungry or curious wildlife. In order to immerse guests of Kivijärvi Resort in the elements of nature as safely, but also as close as possible, Studio Puisto installed a floor-to-ceiling window that stands some distance from the cabin’s deep gable roof. From Niliaitta’s front-facing window, guests enjoy the most dominant landscapes as the cabin’s location was purposefully selected to offer the most unobstructed views of Finland’s forest and nearby body of water.

Raised up on stilts to avoid disrupting the natural landscape, all of the four different cabins were built using Passive house construction methods, each with homogenous shingle facades clad from locally-sourced, untreated Alsatian chestnut wood. Closest to the eco-hotel’s main building, which keeps an intimate culinary experience provided with homegrown produce as well as an exhibition showroom for local art and craftwork, guests can stay in the Low Grass Cabins. Designed for guests with limited mobility, the Low Grass Cabins comprise only one floor and were built to be universally accessible. Stationed into the gentle slopes at an angle, the Low Grass Cabins form upside-down, irregular pentagons in order to lock securely into the mountainside while still offering raised views of the valley below.

The Edward Bed & Breakfast is a cabin hidden amidst a lush 75-acre property surrounded by a massive wooded area that is used for the business’s various other staying experiences. Payam Shalchian designed the 80-square foot cabin and also co-owns the B&B. The theme is ultra minimalistic – the exterior is a simple wooden frame and the interior only houses essential furniture. The luxury in this case is the immersive experience you have within nature. To truly bring the outside in, the majority of the walls and ceiling panel areas are made of transparent plexiglass. The cabin is basically a sleeping zone and has another supplementary 64-square foot cabin which is a bathhouse containing a shower and composting toilet.

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.

Designed by Ortraum Architects, Kynttilä, which loosely translates to ‘candle’ is a quaint wooden cabin constructed alongside Lake Saimaa in Finland. The 15-square-meter cabin showcases a translucent, glazed end that provides soothing views of the water. Cross-laminated timber and larch boards were used to construct the exterior of the cabin. The interior boasts a floor-to-ceiling window and a built-in bed which allows you to laze around in bed and dreamily gaze at the lake every morning. The impressive glazed window encourages a connection with nature, making you feel as if the surrounding forest and waterbody are only a step away, and letting you relax in peace on the lakeside.

Úbáli, which means chameleon in Bribri, designed their first modular cabin, called Kabëk, specifically to befit mountain living. The first model for the Úbáli Tropical Living’s eco-tourism initiative dons an inclined roof, which allows the modular house to tuck right into mountainous terrains and offers travelers the chance to fully immerse themselves and their stays in the quiet of the wood. The modular cabin has a simple design layout of four walls that enclose a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, and dining room. The construction process also promotes frugality in regard to both time and money in that its modularity and simple layout caters to the prospect of easy and relatively affordable replication. Prepared for the most extreme of climates, Kabëk is assembled using industrial zinc, an extremely durable material that reforms nicks and blemishes thanks to its own hydroxyl carbonate protective layer. Additionally, industrial zinc’s levels of low toxicity are ideal for modular homes situated in natural settings. Industrial zinc is recyclable, durable, and an eco-conscious option for roofs. For example, rainwater that flows off Kabëk’s roof does not collect any hazardous waste on its way to the ground’s soil. Kabëk’s transportability is inherently green as the construction process preserves the natural settings on which Kabëk is situated. Furthermore, the materials used to build the modular home – industrial zinc, gypsum, and Densglass – form an ecologically sound structure that can withstand irregular changes in weather.

Just like the rest of us, Matt and Lisa of Tailored Tiny Co. have been dreaming about tiny homes for quite some time and Living Big in a Tiny House caught up with them soon after they constructed one of their own. Nestled high above an Australian forest, Matt and Lisa’s jet-black, two-floor cabin was constructed by the couple with help from a few friends. The tiny home’s black metal siding surely stands out, but amidst high eucalyptus treetops, it offers a more inconspicuous appeal, tying it up artfully with recycled hardwood trimming for the home’s protruding gables. Matt and Lisa’s home-on-wheels measures almost 30 feet in length and just about eight feet in width – the ceiling reaches sweeping heights of 14 feet, slightly above average for the conventional tiny home.

Set on a rugged, 8-acre site on the secluded side of the island, the Bowen Island House 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 cabin’s position is perpendicular to the rocky coastline and captures the sun from east to west, while the stained black cedar cladding helps it visually recede into the forest.

City Cabin is a relaxing urban retreat in Seattle designed by Olson Kundig. The 2400-square-foot cabin was built keeping in mind that the client wanted to feel as if she was living in the wilderness, she wanted to feel connected to nature. The house is surrounded by lush gardens on the eastern and southern sides. The house showcases a central structure with two wings extending from it. The central area has been built with floor-to-ceiling windows providing an instant view of the surrounding garden area, and making one feel linked to nature. The clerestory windows allow sunlight to stream in freely, creating a light and airy space. City Cabin is a safe little haven placed cozily in the midst of a bustling city!

This A-frame, cantilever cabin comes wrapped in a mesh that makes it glows in the dark come nighttime

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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. Acting almost like a blanket for the home, a mesh curtain wraps all of La Invernada, except for the top floor’s view of the sky, and harbors its warm light in one place, amidst the otherwise dark forest. With cool, rainy winters and long, sunny summers, the design and structure of La Invernada are ideal for Chile’s forest. Polycarbonate, a sustainable and transparent thermoplastic building material, protects La Invernada from Chile’s infrequent, but gusty winds and heavy rainfall. Polycarbonate is known for its ability to withstand large amounts of force, as it’s sometimes preferred over glass materials for constructing long-lasting roofs and shatterproof windows. La Invernada’s laminated Chilean pinewood structure provides the cabin’s rounded ceiling and A-frame final look. The cabin’s skeletal frame allows for it to camouflage into the surrounding clusters of trees, making it hard to believe that three floors make up the interior of La Invernada.

The main floor of La Invernada comprises the dining and living spaces for solo reading time, family gatherings, or even dinner parties in the middle of a dark, wooded forest – that’s one dinner party I’d be sure to RSVP. Guillermo Acuña designed the main living area with a tree’s roots in mind as inspiration – the living room seamlessly merges with the forest. Inside, La Invernada offers even more warmth with a wood-burning fireplace, whose uncovered chimney extends from the living room, past two floors, to the arched ceiling. The kitchen and first-floor bedroom are separated by a bathroom. Then, by climbing a ladder, guests can find accommodations on both the second and third mezzanines, the latter providing unfettered views of the canopied sky above. Opting for a fully-exposed, cantilever deck, La Invernada brings residents from the sky into the forest once more with an outdoor hot tub and timber walkway that leads to the gentle, but running river below.

Designer: Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados

Work from home product designs that are the best investments of 2020!

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As I write this article, I am acutely aware that 2020 is entering its last quarter! The year has certainly flown by, but the new workflow implemented this year is here to stay. Remote working is no longer a trend and all of us who have been avoiding investing in creating our own workspace, well it’s high time for us to start shopping and we have the best designs curated to improve your shopping experience! Depending on your space to your budget, the designs featured here include your personal cabins to easy to setup partitions that are sure to improve your productivity and allow you to focus on your work, distraction-free!

The Zen Work Pod by Autonomous is perfect because in 2020 you don’t need a shed in your backyard, you rather have a warm minimalist office instead! The company behind this work shed has been acing the game when it comes to well-designed office furniture like flexible desks and ergonomic chairs. The Zen Work Pod was a culmination of their furniture design mission clubbed with the need of the hour. The minimalist backyard structure is a stark contrast to the existing toolsheds, it is a modern workspace equipped with all essentials needed for a ‘zen’ workday. “It provides a fresh solution that completely redefines the home office, providing maximum focus during every working hour,” says the team who especially kept creators and freelancers in mind while designing it. The pod features floor-to-ceiling windows and an angular roof all wrapped in a sturdy oak, walnut, and aluminum structure. It is compact but the minimal build and sweeping windows make it feel spacious.

The Zero Gravity Balans chair was designed by Peter Opsvik to be a blend of relaxation and productivity. It is the vision of what a modern chair should be – multifunctional and aesthetically pleasing. What sets this chair apart is that it has no mechanical adjustment parts, it is made to be so ergonomic that your body movements dictate its positions. You can choose to adjust it at four different angles which gives you room to be flexible with your posture and the chair to mold itself according to the space it is set in. You can sit in whatever position that is comfortable to you from kneeling to the fully reclined – one works for Netflix party and one for working from home.

 

Igor Leal’s Sunken Studio is another unique design to add to that list, it was made to keep you away from the everyday disturbances by giving you a sleek subterranean workspace. Also, you can get creative with your ‘roof’ – will you like to have a picnic lunch or play golf? The 500 square foot studio concept was a custom solution requested by a client in Rio De Janeiro who wanted a fully functioning workspace that he could spend long hours in. That is why it features a sitting area, kitchenette, bathroom, and desk area. This is a modern, compact office that allows you to host small conferences, do video calls, and meet clients without any interference. Also, once you are in the zone you don’t have to come up above ground for small things like a snack or bathroom break.

Ikaria Design Co’s Soul Seat helps you sit in a neutral posture which is effortless and comfortable. The springs on the elevated perch tilt the pelvis forward, open the hips and help align the spine. You can sit in several positions if crossing legs isn’t comfortable for you, the chair enables you to switch between multiple positions frequently keeping your body engaged and blood flowing. For some, this may also alleviate neck and back pain! The height of both levels can be adjusted to suit your workspace setup. I know there were many comments from our Instagram audience about it missing a backrest and while I don’t think it causes harm if you sit without one (people meditate and work in this very posture for hours in Asian countries), I do think having an option of a detachable backrest can help those who are just starting to work on their posture ease into it.

The Fitwork was designed by Brian Oaks, a designer, and entrepreneur who ended up needing chiropractic adjustments and even back surgery because of this sedentary lifestyle. Fitwork’s design sort of embodies a no-excuse mentality to being fit. Whether it’s the excuse of ‘being too busy’, or of ‘not wanting to go all the way to the gym’, Fitwork combats it by bringing the gym not just to your house, but to your workspace. Designed as a product to let you work and work out at the same time, this crazy hybrid of a desk-chair and treadmill keeps your legs active while you work. Whether you’re sitting in front of a laptop or standing in front of one, it’s the sedentary lifestyle that Fitwork tackles. The setup (which is sure to grab a few eyeballs) comes with an office chair attached to a treadmill underneath, and an elliptical in front. Coupled with an elevating desk, the Fitwork allows you to keep the lower half of your body active while you work, giving you cardio as well as keeping your spine engaged, whether you’re sitting or standing while working. While you’re sitting, your legs naturally rest on the Fitwork’s elliptical, allowing you to pedal away while typing out emails or attending zoom calls without really anyone knowing what a fitness buff you are.

Made so that it can be the extra room your house needs (now that everyone’s stuck indoors), the Hello Wood Studio’s 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. After work hours, the cabin could even be converted into a makeshift bedroom for a night-out among the stars, or even for guests! Hello Wood Studios built the private retreat with the ability to later add extra features like heating/cooling, mood-lighting, in-built sound system, TV-screen, and WiFi setup, and can be assembled on your lawn/backyard or even on a terrace!

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.

Cose is a multifunctional neck massager that relieves pain without painkillers using 6 different technologies. It features EMS + TENS technology along with infrared therapy and thermotherapy to work on your muscles. EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) helps Cose imitate the natural signals that come from the central nervous system which make the neck muscles contract for better flexibility and strength. TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), on the other hand, delivers small electrical impulses through the skin to flood the nervous system, reducing pain by stimulating your body to produce endorphins, our natural pain relievers.

Our modern lifestyle involves us being stationary in one position for long hours which is unhealthy and Pluching was created as an organic solution that brings more movement! The time spent sitting in one place has increased so much ever since the pandemic began because all we do is work from home and then watch Netflix at home. This can cause turtle neck syndrome, shoulder pain, back pain, and unhealthy stiffness which you can minimize using stretching equipment like Pluching. Heesuk Lee’s idea was to design exercise equipment that gives the effect of band exercise and stretching but could clip-on on the back of your chair for ease. Pluching uses a powerful neodymium magnet that is embedded in a silicon clip to secure the equipment and give you stability.

Panasonic has designed a simple solution to draw boundaries between work and play without taking up too much space with their Komoru cubicle and I need to order two when they launch on September 18th, 2020! The Japanese brand has infused this mini cubicle with simple details that help you work efficiently while not adding visual bulk to your interior space. Working from home has had many of us come up with creative ways to stay productive –  this Komoru cubicle saves your time and effort. You can easily assemble the desk and partition at home which are the two main structural components. Unlike a traditional office cubicle, this is four feet tall which allows you to see over the partition walls while still sitting at your desk.

Once you create your home working space, here are some desk setup inspirations to help you create your dream setup!