Cabins

James River House

Scraps of Pacific madrone trees

Instead of installing rooftop solar panels, Alqadi and his friend and partner in the venture, Hillary Flur, built a “solar tree” to provide energy.

In Australia, a manufacturer and an architecture firm create an off-grid home that can be broken down and shipped across the world.

The cabin is constructed predominantly with plywood that Christie finished with a custom whitewash of 4:1 water to white paint, with a dash of green. "I wanted it pale,

A third of the house and deck cantilever out toward the stream, and the void beneath the deck provides a place for wood storage. The cabin sits just 100 feet from the water, and with the windows open you can hear the ambient rush of the stream from throughout the house.

Marvin adds, “It can get pretty dark during the winter in Michigan, so maximizing access to daylight is important, and they’ve done that in Hilltop Farm. You can see, too, that the modern living space inside the home welcomes many uninterrupted views, giving the home so much positive energy.”

“Making the landscape a central piece of the home itself welcomes nature inside and strengthens the sense of well-being through views of nature,” says Marvin. “I think about how the home is positioned on the site, too, and I can tell the homeowners were very intentional about the placement of windows and doors because they wanted to capture as much natural light as possible.”

How does daylight affect happiness and well-being? Marvin decided to find out.

This Carlsbad home has a tertiary space that space is known in traditional Japanese homes as the "engawa.” To sustain a unified look throughout, the floor and ceiling are clad in ipe wood. Photo by Daniel Hennessy.

hytte

The house is divided into three sections connected by a series of outdoor galleries. “When I walk from one room to another, I have to go outdoors and feel the weather and nature—rain, cold, and sun,” says Sævik. Instead of emphasizing the expansive panorama of oak, pine, and aspen trees, the house frames select views—a move inspired by Japanese design.

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.

Atelier Oslo overcame nature’s challenges when they designed Cabin Norderhov, a seasonal, eco-friendly retreat on a steep hillside overlooking Lake Steinsfjorden. The home’s layout revolves around a central glass and metal "campfire" that burns beneath a suspended mantel. Since it’s located at the access level, the fireplace's flickering warmth can be enjoyed throughout the house. The surrounding floor is covered with hexagon tiles cut from marble, which transition into tiles made of birch log in the rest of the house.

The cabin’s exterior walls and roof are clad in overlapping stone plates that mimic the look of traditional wood paneling found in Western Norway. “It provides an affinity with the cabins nearby,” partner and architect Nils Ole Bae Brandtzæg explains. Solar panels cover the chimney pipe, lighting LED lamps inside.

The cozy living area features a refurbished Børge Mogensen chair and a Recover sofa from Bolia. The coffee table was sourced from Jotex.

House in Chilean Forest by Lucas Maino aerial view