First built in 1959 as acclaimed architect Jim Olson's first project, this modest bunkhouse in the woods grew into an extraordinary family retreat.
Designed to capture the character of traditional wooden cabins within a contemporary framework, this family residence in Fairplay, Colorado, is comprised of two volumes linked by an outdoor deck.
"We felt it was important to create continuity with nature, rather than compete with it," Soranno stated. "The connection with nature is what makes this place special."
The cabins share a common interior and exterior material palette for consistency, and to better allow them blend in with the hillside. "The design of the wood houses aims to harmonize with the landscape and the rustic atmosphere while forming a contrast to the existing village buildings," says the firm.
The simple massing consists of two blocks, which have been connected via an outdoor patio that wraps around the home. Here, outdoor spaces become one with the indoor elements.
When an urban couple decided to build an affordable tiny house outside the city as a retreat from their busy lives, they found a site in the Stockholm archipelago and called on architect David Lookofsky of Lookofsky Architecture.
Transformer or beach hut? Positioned in a coastal erosion zone, this holiday retreat for a family of five is completely capable of being relocated. An oversized shutter allows for protection from the elements when not in use and opens to allow sun in during the winter or provide shade on hot summer days. Waikato, New Zealand. By Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects, from the book Rock the Shack, Copyright Gestalten 2013.
Constructed on land he had owned for years, this tiny cabin is also totally green.
Designed to sleep eight, the flexible cabin can be used as a quiet retreat for the couple or a gathering place for family and friends.
Tiny homes have officially become a thing—and these woodsy getaways will make you want to downsize ASAP.
“We did our best to tuck the buildings into the site—the goal was to get up high on a perch. It was a matter of setting that elevation and working back down with the topography.”—Riley Pratt, architectural designer
The House for a Musher is all about taking advantage of its hilltop site. The courtyard in the front has vast views and the house itself is oriented toward the surrounding landscape.
"We did our best to tuck the buildings into the site—the goal was to get up high on a perch. It was a matter of setting that elevation and working back down with the topography," says architectural designer Riley Pratt.
Olson Kundig Architects' Delta Shelter, in Mazama, Washington, is a 1,000 square-foot steel box home with a 200 square-foot footprint. Photo by Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects/TASCHEN.
“What often happens in our relationship is I come to Funn with an idea and he makes it into something livable.” —Vincent Kartheiser
Immerso Glamping, a 65-square-foot prefab structure designed by Italian architects Fabio Vignolo and Francesca Turnaturi, is located in the Piedmont region of Italy. With a simple palette of birch plywood and plexiglass, the cabin was inspired by the architects’ experience designing easy-to-assemble, flat-packed cabins for disaster relief. You can book it on Airbnb for around $90.
Regan Baker Design teamed up with contractor Markus Burkhardt and Sagan Design Group to design and build Tahoe’s first Passive House for a family of five, incorporating their vintage and heirloom quilts.
Sævik compares her house to a contemplative hideout. “It’s very quiet,” she says. “You can concentrate and let thoughts fly.” Her favorite summer pastimes include reading, painting, drawing, yoga, and “just sitting and feeling the forest,” she says.
The reclaimed hickory facade of the Micro Cabin by BC-OA is punctured by windows that overlook National Forest Service land.
Cabin at Longbranch | Olson Kundig
The outdoors are part of the cohesive design, embracing the vegetation, sites, and sunlight.
Raised walkway between house and studio
The 5,200-square-foot retreat is designed to look like a cluster of old barns upon first glance.
When Abbie and Bill Burton hired Marmol Radziner to design their prefab weekend home, their two requests were “simple-simple, replaceable materials,” says Abbie—such as concrete floors (poured offsite in Marmol Radziner's factory) and metal panel siding—and “the ability to be indoors or outdoors with ease.” Deep overhangs provide shade and protection from rain, so the Burtons can leave their doors open year-round and hang out on their 70-foot-long deck even in inclement weather. They visit the house once a month, usually for a week at a time, with Vinnie and Stella, their rescue Bernese Mountain dogs. Their two adult children occasionally join them. The couple hopes to one day retire here.
The three attached structures house an office, guest suite, and game room, used by the family to watch football games.
This home's prefabricated components were all made in Marmol Radziner’s home-building factory near Los Angeles, and trucked over to the one-and-a-half-acre site.
The doors are Fiberglass ThermaTru.
See Arch restored the exterior fireplace wall and painted it a deep blue hue to match the repainted blue timber cladding.
The Pool House seen at night.
The rear of the house continues the same mix of materials as the front facade and includes a long, narrow pool.
The internal courtyard is the heart of the home.
A steel-and-glass extension hosts the main living spaces and flows into the backyard.
Clad in Western red cedar siding and punctuated with floor-to-ceiling windows, this minimalist two-bedroom home boasts sunrise views over the Sonoma hills.
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