Five Modular Cabins Form a Sculptural Catskill Abode

To create a more intimate setting, a 2,200-square-foot home is comprised of smaller cabin-like spaces.

Text by

Corpus Studio, a Paris–based architecture firm, has designed this striking home in the Catskill region of Upstate New York to consist of five cabins that come together to create a unique cross-shaped floor plan.

To evoke the feel of a tiny nature cabin, two massive sliding doors can be used to divide the common areas so that each section can be isolated from the rest of the house.

The open layout is composed of five sections. The kitchen is located in the middle of the cross, and each of the four wings house different functional areas—a bedroom, a bathroom, a dining area, and the living lounge.

The vertical windows along the exterior façades can be covered with board awnings to give the interiors a more cloistered atmosphere.

"In the same way the space oscillates between a contemporary, open-plan and traditional, closed-format interior, the materials and textures chosen for the finishes and furniture intentionally juxtapose the old against the new; the rough against the smooth; the comfortable against the austere," says Corpus Studio’s co-founder Konrad Steffensen.

The wall sconces are by Apparatus Studio.

This Roly Poly chair is by Faye Toogood. The table is by Rick Owens and the additional chairs are by Bahk Jong Sun.

The taraxacum suspended lights are by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. The stools are by Fritz Baumann.

The extensive glazing captures views of nature outdoors, while bringing plenty of natural light inside the home. Awnings help protect the house against severe weather, and keep furniture safe from sun-weathering.

The skylights on the peaked roofs, along with the pivoting glass doors and windows, enhance the cabin’s modern, sculptural form.

The fireplace has been designed as a grand pit with a suspended smoke canopy that resembles the buttressed trunk of a big forest tree.

The pillar side table is by Ben and Aja Blanc.

Fitted with materials that celebrate nature, and furnished with carefully selected designer furniture, this cozy retreat brings the look and feel of a rustic cabin into an elegant, contemporary home.