Cabins

Helsinki-based company Pluspuu offers 11 customizable models of modern log homes and sauna cabins that start at $18,000.

The Kustavi has a monopitch roof, high windows and ceilings, two sheltered terraces, and a master bedroom with either a tall panoramic window, or a sliding door.

Available in sizes that range from 646-square-feet to 850-square-feet, this model has a sheltered terrace at one end that’s great for outdoor barbeques or a summer kitchen.

After living on and studying a woodsy acre of land in North Zealand, Denmark, architect Jesper Brask cleared a stand of pine trees and, from the timber, built a getaway open to its surroundings. The house, which Brask shares with his wife, Lene, and sons, Kristian, Jens, and Niels, is used mainly in summer, when the weather is optimal for throwing open the glass doors.

One of the main goals of the construction was to do as little harm as possible to the existing environment, which includes waterways that salmon depend upon. Herrin and his team created a garden roof that covers the full extent of the home to meet this objective. “This helps control storm water runoff and also replaces lost insect habitat—insects being a critical food source for juvenile salmon,” he says.

Architect Tom Kundig’s assignment was simple enough: Build a tiny, Thoreau-like getaway for an Atlanta-based writer who owned ten acres on San Juan Island in Puget Sound. "The idea was not to clutter anybody’s thinking, especially a writer’s," he said. So he designed a 500-square-foot retreat that’s both womblike and open to its surroundings.

Professional backcountry snowboarders Zach and Cindi Lou Grant modernized a run-down A-frame cabin outside of Park City, Utah, to help them access untracked powder and follow their dreams.

A high band of windows on the east side of the home lets light in, while a simple wood overhang shades an outdoor dining area on the terrace with mountain views. "On clear days, it feels like you can see across the high plains to Kansas," says Hirsh. Photo by Ron Johnson.

A larch slatted skin covers the cabin that is elevated above the ground on turned pine poles.

From their elevated position amongst the trees, these tiny cabin hideaways offer a unique perspective on the Cornish landscape.

Pre-fabrication helps ensure quality and ease of installation.

Sited on a lake near Bracebridge, Ontario, this small-footprint family cottage was designed by Toronto firm superkül to integrate with its natural surroundings and minimize its environmental impact. The clients, a married couple, had mixed feelings about going completely modern with their cabin's aesthetic, so the architects created a sculptural wood form to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary. Photo by Shai Gil.

Wheelhaus founder and CEO Jamie Mackay creates prefabs with the same quality and durability of the log cabins he grew up with, while also incorporating his values of green production and modern design. Although it takes about four months to construct his prefabricated properties, it takes about a week for the home to be delivered, and then three to five days for the house to be set up on site.

One of the tenets of Treebones Resort is to build shelters that perch lightly on the land. The Autonomous Tent doesn't require a foundation, instead resting on a deck that is held to the ground with screws.

Winner of the 2011 Log House of the Year Award, the 1,206-square-meter Lokki, which was designed by as architect Kari Lappalainen and furnished by interior designer Hanni Koroma, has an inverted pitch roof that’s inspired by seagull wings.

Designed by architects and experienced sailor Kari Leppänen, Honka’s Saari villa was built with 134-milimeter thick square logs treated with a dark finish, and has three-meter wide eaves that provide shade, and wind protection for the outdoor patio.

The constraints informed the building design, and were embraced—for example, the cladding that was milled at the end was only enough to partially clad the studio.

A Honka model called Kommodori was used for this seaside home,