Cabins

Untreated fir lines the interior of the sauna, which faces a stunning view of the island landscape.

Douglas fir boards follow the angle of the roof, exaggerating the cabin’s form.

The concrete wall behind the porch provides a backdrop for the wood stove and privacy from the road.

In Darby, Montana, just steps from the Bitterroot River, John Shoemaker and Greg Case built a home base for their fly-fishing group vacations.

Castillero and Reed took inspiration from Norwegian design, keeping things cozy but minimalist with OSB cladding and a monochromatic palette.

This particular cabin may be done, but Castillero and Reed are just getting started. “I like the idea of working on something and tweaking and perfecting it,” says Castillero, who is now envisioning building a network for Hideouts, each iteration improving on the next to provide an even better getaway for creatives to disconnect with the world and reconnect with nature.

“We bought the land not knowing what we could build or where. It’s off by itself and pretty isolated,” says Jeff.

The weekend retreat is a welcome respite from the hustle of Mexico City.

The original stone cottage with the black timber clad extension behind, both overlooking the bay of Trevaunance and out to sea.

The getaway protrudes like a sculpture from the hillside.

Tiny houses are spreading across the world—and probably because it really just makes sense. The tiny home lifestyle is the ultimate application of creative resourcefulness, and allows residents to reduce their environmental footprints without sacrificing good design.

Though the retreat is clearly meant to afford the solitude writing so often requires, Kathleen reports that "it's very lively. Deer approach, birds bathe. The sun warms my desk and you can hear the rain."

The family retreat abuts a rocky cliff in Herfell, Norway. The central cabin provides communal living spaces, while the two cabins that flank it are used as private sleeping quarters.

Set in the lush Wisconsin forest, this neatly stacked cabin was built vertically in order to minimize the amount of grading and landscaping necessary for construction. Photo by: Narayan Mahon

In the shadow of Denali mountain, amid Alaska’s meadows and icy streams, a former teacher and a four-time Iditarod winner calls upon Mayer Sattler-Smith to design a modernist cabin as expansive as the Last Frontier.

Architects Joan Soranno and John Cook of HGA developed five site-specific cabins that tread lightly on the land at Marlboro College in rural Vermont. These deceptively simple structures update the regional vernacular. Every year, Marlboro College hosts the Marlboro Music Festival in which classical musicians join together to hone their craft. These cabins help support the musicians that live, work, and rehearse together.

Anka Lamprecht and Lukas Wezel shared their rustic domicile in a valley in Grotli, Norway. Boasting an enviable view, it’s the first cabin archived in the book’s “Backcountry” category that features homesteads in the wilderness.