Koto Just Unveiled a Tiny Work Cabin That’s Cut Like a Diamond

Koto’s carbon-neutral cabins combine Japanese and Scandinavian design influences to remarkable effect, and the company just unveiled its latest offering: a geometric, modular workspace that reimagines where, and how, we work.

"We want to disrupt how we see the conventional office," says Zoe Little, founding partner at Koto. "It’s a space that enhances the landscape, giving people privacy with direct access to nature."

The cabin—commissioned by the New Art Centre, a gallery and sculpture park in Salisbury, England—is carved like an elegant gem, and it’s finished with meticulous attention to detail. The tiny office is clad in charred timber, and its geometry appears to subtly shift when viewed from each consecutive angle. Generous glazing comprises an entire facade, framing views of the gardens on the art center’s grounds.

"The cabin acts as a functional piece of fine art, and sensitively pairs the outside surroundings with a multifunctional space that can be used by all," says the New Art Centre’s creative director, Lewis Dalton Gilbert.

The interior of the carbon-neutral cabin is clad with sleek wood finishes that refract light "to evoke a sense of shelter and warmth," says Koto cofounder Theo Dale. Inside, the faceted walls follow the form of the cabin’s exterior, composing a serene yet asymmetrical space. "Wabi-sabi is the perfect remedy to today’s hectic pace and obsession with perfectionism," Dale says.

Amid a global pandemic that’s turned homes into ad hoc offices, the design is a bid for better remote workspaces. Though the cabin currently stands as a one-off on the grounds of the art center, Koto plans to offer the design in a multitude of sizes that are on- and off-grid capable.

More from Koto:

These Sleek Prefab Cabins Radiate Scandinavian Style

Plant Prefab and Koto Launch New Net-Zero Homes With Scandinavian Style

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Koto Design / @koto_cabins