Tag Archives: Wooden Architecture

Top 10 wooden homes that showcase this warm material beautifully

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There’s something about wooden architecture that is simply so humble and endearing. Wood has been a material of choice for construction for ages galore. Wood ages beautifully – anything built with wood will retain the character of your house. And it also manages to incorporate an aura of warmth and serenity within the living space. The rustic and homely appeal of a wooden space instantly makes you feel at ease and welcome. It’s a material of choice that has stood strong through the ages and continues to do so. Whether modern or traditional, wood can be bent and molded to create a living space of your choice and style. From a tiny timber home with a biophilic design to a cedar-clad cantilevered cabin– this collection of architectural designs will leave you mesmerized and completely in awe of the wonderful yet simple material that is wood!

1. The Slope House

The Slope House from the 3D visualizer Milad Eshtiyaghi is an untraditional A-frame cabin that employs biophilic design inside and out. 3D visualizer and international architect Milad Eshtiyaghi has long been drawn to escapist hideaways perched on rugged, seaside cliffs and isolated cabins envisioned beneath the Northern Lights. Today, he turns his gaze to tiny cabins. A bit more quaint than treacherous, Eshtiyaghi’s latest 3D visualization finds an angular, timber cabin nestled atop an idyllic hillside somewhere in the rainforests of Brazil.

Why is it noteworthy?

Dubbed the Slope House, the timber cabin maintains a signature triangular frame that’s a thoughtful twist on the conventional A-frame cabin. Defined by two modules, one internal volume hosts the cabin’s bedroom while the other keeps the home’s main living spaces, like the dining area, kitchen, and den. The tiny cabin from Eshtiyaghi is envisioned propped atop a truss system that was specifically chosen to minimize the home’s impact on the preexisting landscape.

What we like

  • A biophilic design style has been integrated into the cabin’s interior spaces
  • Natural plants have been added inside the house as a small garden

What we dislike

  • The theme and form of the home may be a bit too eccentric for some

2. Tind

David and Jeanette Reiss-Andersen, cofounders of the Oslo-based tiny home company Norske Mikrohus, decided to build an eco-friendly and affordable alternative to the pricier standard-size homes available on the market.

Why is it noteworthy?

Measuring 70 square feet, Tind is a tiny home on wheels, that draws inspiration from the forests and mountains of Norway. It’s also clad completely in Norwegian spruce, making it a sustainable little house. Not only the exterior but the interior of the home is also clad in wood – birch veneer to be specific, giving the space a very modern, natural, and warm vibe.

What we like

  • A compact built-in wooden counter in the open-plan kitchen also serves as an efficient home office
  • There’s also a walk-in closet, which isn’t seen in most tiny homes

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

3. Sleeve House

Called Sleeve House, this stunning vacation home in upstate New York, is an intriguing slanted home clad in charred wood, with rolling hills surrounding it. Designed by Actual/Office, the 2500-square foot home, occupies nearly 46 acres, and basically comprises two elongated volumes – which seem to be sliding into one another. The smaller volume seems to be elevated.

Why is it noteworthy?

The home is nestled on a quaint sloped site, and is almost orthogonal in plan, with two stories placed deftly into its form. The exterior has been composed of charred wood and exposed concrete, which have also been artfully extended into the interior of the home.

What we like

  • The wood was charred via a traditional Japanese technique, called shou sugi ban

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

4. Immerso

Located in the alpine village of Usseaux in Italy’s Piedmont region is the beautiful little ‘Immerso’ glamping cabin. Designed by Italian architects Fabio Vignolo and Francesca Turnaturi this mesmerizing cabin allows guests to leave behind the hectic city life, go off-grid, and unwind in the calmness of nature.

Why is it noteworthy?

The prefab shelter is easily moveable and takes only two hours to set up! Composed of birch plywood and plexiglass, the 65-square-foot modular cabin was designed with the goal of being ‘easy-to-assemble and flat-packed’. It can be built on-site without the use of any electrical equipment or much technical knowledge.

What we like

  • You can lay under the stars, gaze at them for hours, and reconnect with nature in this transparent cabin

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

5. The Buck Mountain Cabin

Situated on Orcas Island, which is a part of an archipelago called San Juan islands, is the Buck Mountain Cabin. The beautiful cedar-clad cabin was built by embracing the original site and its conditions, and by ensuring that minimal disturbance was caused to it.

Why is it noteworthy?

A steep grade and a narrow clearing created by a rock outcropping were a few of the challenges faced by the architects, but they encouraged the clients to focus on these features as they are unique to San Juan.

What we like

  • The grassy basalt-rock outcroppings set within a Douglas fir and Pacific madrone forest were used to enhance and elevate the cabin
  • Large protective overhangs and south-facing clearstory windows allow sunlight to generously stream in, especially during winter

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

6. Finn Street House

Ben Walker Architects worked upon and rejuvenated a 1950s ‘Tocumwal’ cottage in Canberra’s Inner North. Tocumwal houses are quite iconic in the Canberra region and were initially relocated there from southern New South Wales to tackle a housing crisis. This home was formerly a military intelligence base built during World War 2. The original cottage and its essence were retained, while also making some modern modifications and minor updates.

Why is it noteworthy?

The exteriors of the home are quite eye-catching! A timber facade marks the exterior. It is quite fluid and runs freely across the home. A series of screens dominate the upper level and are artfully sculpted against the windows, giving the entire structure a very harmonious and coordinated appeal.

What we like

  • The upper level extends, and overhangs a section of the ground floor, hence sheltering the outdoor dining area, and creating a cozy and shaded space to eat or hang around in

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

7. The Water Cabin

The Water Cabin is a floating home in Seattle’s Portage Bay that maintains the houseboat’s classic nautical personality and the weathered coziness of a cabin.

Why is it noteworthy?

Defined by a geometric silhouette that exhibits Kundig’s classic style, the Water Cabin’s frame is supported by galvanized steel structures that cradle spacious roof planes and wooden decks. Building the Water Cabin, Olson Kundig and their client hoped to blend interior and exterior spaces throughout the home. Arranged over two levels, the home’s interior spaces are specifically configured to maximize connections to the marine environment.

What we like

  • Russian birch plywood ceilings line each room overhead, capturing the natural sunlight of the day and brightening the home
  • Large roof overhangs protect the patio’s wood from seasonal elements

What we dislike

  • Only a hidden murphy bed functions as the home’s guest room

8. The Bookworm Cabin

Libraries are one of my happy places so this cabin is straight out of my dream – a cozy personal library blended with a forest getaway! The Bookworm cabin is made for bibliophiles who want to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature while devouring stories by a fireplace. Designed by Polish duo Bartłomiej Kraciukand and Marta Puchalska-Kraciuk, this cabin is all about immersing yourself in your books and the woods which was their personal motive too!

Why is it noteworthy?

The angular 377-square-foot cabin is built on a wooded plot near the town of Mazovia which is just 31 miles outside Warsaw. The design and aesthetic were inspired by the surrounding lush forest and sand dunes.

What we like

  • Heaven for book lovers
  • Keeps the focus on your reading list or the scenic outdoors thanks to its sweeping glass windows

What we dislike

  • Does not feature a fully equipped kitchen

9. Adraga

Called Adraga, the tiny home features an array of sustainability elements including solar panels, rainwater collection, and composting garden beds. As part of a larger series of tiny home one wheels, Adraga is home to a retired couple who just want to disconnect from the busyness of the world.

Why is it noteworthy?

Looking at Adraga from the outside, its unstained pinewood facades invoke simplicity. Defined by a rectangular, flat-roofed silhouette, the team at Madeiguincho found movement through windows and doors. On one end of the tiny home, a single, farmhouse-style door welcomes residents into the home’s subdued bathroom. There, against the soothing backdrop of walnut wood panels, residents can enjoy a semi-outdoor shower atop wooden floor slats.

What we like

  • The layout of Adraga is designed to optimize the available floor space
  • Incorporated with various off-grid elements

What we dislike

  • In the bathroom, a dry toilet operates without flush water and closes the waste loop – but not everyone may be comfortable with using it

10. The Climber’s Cabin

The Climbers Cabin Designers

The Climbers Cabin

We have seen Several interesting units, but we believe more well-designed cabins will be introduced. The latest on our radar is The Climber’s Cabin by AR Design Studio. As described, its primary purpose is as a space for children and as a guest cabin for when you want to entertain friends and family.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Climber’s Cabin is situated near a stream and a woodland, adding to the adventure experience. The initial plan for the cabin was for it to function as ancillary space for the client’s house. The idea was that the cabin would be built quickly without any complex construction methods. Every step was supposed to be straightforward, so anyone could easily understand and follow. Construction should also be done using sustainable materials sourced locally. The project was actually born during those early months of lockdowns due to the pandemic.

What we like

  • The A-shaped roof was optimized to allow a mezzanine
  • Inside The Climber’s Cabin, interior finishes are made of used and upcycled boards

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

The post Top 10 wooden homes that showcase this warm material beautifully first appeared on Yanko Design.

This beautiful wooden home in Osaka, Japan is marked by tranquil gardens

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Designed by Atsushi Kawanishi Architects, the Nightingale House is a beautiful wooden house located in Osaka. The home focuses on establishing genuine connections to nature and helping you feel at one with it. Occupying almost 1400 square feet, the house includes six multi-sized patios in its structure. This creates a strong indoor-outdoor connection and blurs the boundaries between both spaces.

Designer: Atsushi Kawanishi Architects

The most interesting feature of the home is that it connects three gardens in the interiors, and two gardens in the surrounding environment. The front garden is the perfect location for the neighbor’s children to play and make firewood. The south garden has winds continuously blowing into it and provides views of the Osaka Airport, and Osaka’s city center. While, the interiors of the third garden function as a buffer, that connect the outside garden with the inside section of the home.

“Each location has a unique facade and leads to other parts of the residence. The garden and the living room are connected in the interweaving of each other and are connected to the outside world.”

The house is also highlighted by three triangular roofs of varied slopes and levels, that rise from a flat platform, placed above the ground floor. These intriguing and simple geometric forms perfectly complement the mountains situated behind the home. The living area is beautifully interwoven with the aforementioned gardens, creating a space that is open, warm, and green. Wall-height windows allow constant connection to the gardened area. The detailing of the interiors is curved and diagonal, adding depth and character to the house, as well as forming a loose spatial connection.

The interiors are primarily highlighted by timber surfaces. The use of wood and plaster creates a playful combination of light and shadow throughout the home. The home’s minimal and soft interiors, as well as the zen courtyard, create a living space that feels so characteristically Japanese, and would be an absolute delight to reside in!

The post This beautiful wooden home in Osaka, Japan is marked by tranquil gardens first appeared on Yanko Design.

This tiny house has been designed for sustainable, energy-efficient, off-the-grid living!

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I love tiny houses but even more if they are designed to be sustainable, energy-efficient, and on wheels – that is exactly what Project Ursa is! The mobile home is made for off-the-grid living featuring solar panels, water harvesting systems, and the coziest interiors that makes the “cabin in the woods” aesthetic into a lifestyle.

Tiny houses on wheels have to have a length of 4m, 5m, and respectively 7m, to be 2,5m wide and to have a maximum height of 4m. The Ursa tiny house is currently located in Cascais, Portugal, and can function completely off-grid.

To ensure that, the roof features a subtle 5% slope which allows rainwater to drain easily into a couple of water tanks with a total capacity of 650 liters. This water is then redirected to the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, and the shower where it’s filtered and reused. After that, the reused water goes into another tank and from there is used for watering plants.

On top of the roof, Ursa features solar panels which are facing South. Their inclination can be adjusted up to 30% in order to maximize the energy product all year round, making this a very efficient off-grid tiny house.

The energy produced by these solar panels is being converted and stored for later uses so the inhabitants can always have energy on demand when needed. Check out our informational article covering solar panel companies if you’re interesting in this subject.

This tiny house offers 17 square meters of living space in total which is organized into a kitchen, a full bathroom with a dry toilet that produces compost, a living area, two sleeping areas, and also an outdoor deck. Of course, each of these spaces is small and they all blend into one another which creates a cozy ambiance inside. This is accentuated by the warmth of the wood used for both the interior and the exterior of the Ursa tiny house.

Designer: Madeiguincho

Wooden Architectural Designs functioning as sustainable + warm homes that will never go out of trend!

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There’s something about wooden architecture that is simply so humble and endearing. Wood has been a material of choice for construction for ages galore. Wood ages beautifully – anything built with wood will retain the character of your house. And it also manages to incorporate an aura of warmth and serenity within the living space. The rustic and homely appeal of a wooden space instantly makes you feel at ease and welcomed. It’s a material of choice that has stood strong through the ages and continues to do so. Whether modern or traditional, wood can be bent and molded to create a living space of your choice and style. From a wooden treehouse constructed without a tree to a geometric wooden cabin that is perfect for a socially distant getaway – this collection of architectural designs will leave you mesmerized and completely in awe of the wonderful yet simple material that is wood!

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

Designed by David and Jeanette Reiss-Andersen of Oslo-based Norske Mikrohus, Rast is a modern tiny home clad in dark-stained Norwegian spruce. It is constructed with Nordic weather conditions in mind – the roof can withstand heavy snowfall and the walls incorporate thick insulation made of wool, glass, and aluminum – all sustainable materials. On sunny winter days, occupants can stay warm and comfortable inside while still feeling tied to the outdoors. “The large window in the shower really puts you in touch with the natural surroundings,” David says.

Normalize adults living and chilling in treehouses because we are certainly going through a lot more than children and this is the escape we need! Cassiopeia is one such shelter that every grown-up dreams of having, it is a treehouse that was born in a garden without a tree for us to disconnect from the virtual world. It has multiple levels, a fire-man pole, a slide, a swing, a zip-line, a net bed, monkey bars, and a climbing wall in sculptural form with legs that grow in the garden!

Setting up camp has never looked so good and it setting up a minimal glamping cabin just got a whole lot easier thanks to Den! The cabin design studio has a range of flat-packed DIY-style kits that let you assemble your own A-frame cabin in a few days. The average size is 115-square-foot (10.68-square-meter) with models that are larger and smaller depending on what you are looking for. Once assembled, you can see the slanted wooden walls and a floor-to-ceiling triangular window just like how we drew a picture of a cabin as children. The space is minimal and can be transformed into a cozy getaway, a yoga studio, or a creative retreat! The prefab pieces for the cabin are made in New York and come with pre-drilled holes, all wooden structural parts that lock together, bolts, and even door hardware.

The Pod, described by TV host Peter Madison as a “love letter to Tasmania,” is a tiny home comprised of two living ‘pods’ merged together by a narrow row of skylights. Covering only 430sq-ft, the exterior of The Pod is wrapped in Tasmanian oak wood which is replaced with expansive, floor-to-ceiling windows around the back of the tiny home. Positioned on a hillside, the tiny home’s back pod rises on steel beams to merge with the front pod, giving the illusion that you’re “floating” above the ground, as described by Hansen.

Designed and built by Croxatto y Opazo Arquitectos, the holiday cabins are named La Loica and La Tagua and each comprises an individual footprint of less than 25 square meters. Initially conceived of as holiday homes positioned on the coastline of Santiago, La Loica and La Tagua are two-story cabins placed 80 meters above sea level. Getting as close to the Pacific Ocean as possible, the two cabins remain stationed atop the “Lobera,” a large mass of rock that juts out to sea and stands as a home to sea lions and other native sea-dwelling species. Inspired by the windy conditions that Matanzas has become famous for, Croxatto y Opazo Arquitectos played into the wind when designing their holiday cabins.

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.

A Hungarian company called Hello Wood has designed a tiny minimalist cabin that you can assemble yourself for creative space solutions or just an escape from your living room. The prefabricated cabins start at $10,200 and have been crafted in a way that anyone can put together, it is truly the ultimate DIY project. With the tiny home market ‘growing’ rapidly, the Kabinka cabin is positioned to be like IKEA furniture – easy to assemble with an aesthetic that is loved by most. The Kabinka cabin comes in four sizes that range between 129 and 215 square feet. It is a tiny cabin but it has high ceilings – over 12 feet high actually – that bring a sense of spaciousness and luxury to the otherwise simple structure.

The cabin hides 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.

Guambo studies architecture at Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica (UTI) in Ambato, Ecuador, and like most students, he just wanted a space for him to do projects while listening to loud music – that is how this tiny studio was born! To build his dream focus pod, he worked under the guidance of Al Borde, a local architecture studio that successfully completed the renovation of a deteriorated 18th-century house (!) in Ecuador. The main purpose was to be able to play loud music without disturbing the neighbors so Guambo used a traditional construction method known as ‘Bahareque’, a building system that involves weaving sticks and mud to construct compact walls, to make it sound-proof. Even though the exterior reflects the traditional design technique, the full glass window gives it a modern touch.