Favorites

@nelsontreehouse: "We spy a treehouse with some Japanese flair. Could it be a teahouse?"

Cocoon House, Paul Rudolph, 1957, Section and Partial Elevation. Images provided courtesy The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture Archive of The Cooper Union.

Resembling its neighbors, the pitched form of the Compact Karst House is made of a mixture of local limestone and concrete, cast on site. A small perimeter wall in reinforced concrete surrounds the structure.

On the hill behind the house, a wind-powered well brings water from a 150-foot-deep hole to the surface. That water then flows to the home as needed with gravity's helping hand.

The simple structures are a modern play on the traditional cabin with wood-clad exteriors and gabled roofs.

The tiny home’s metal roof is topped with solar panels that power all the 12-volt fixtures, from the energy-efficient RYET LED bulbs to the solar fridge.

Framing picturesque views of a small valley and nearby orchard, Baumhaus Halden is comprised of a steel frame with four wooden support beams.

They tiny house connects to the outdoors with clerestory windows, floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights, and a garage door that opens up an entire wall.

A footbridge connects the Floating House to the island.

Per the Kebony website, their wood products are composed of sustainable softwoods that have been modified with a bio-based liquid to give them the characteristics of hardwoods, making the end result hardy and durable.

The home, a half-sunk diamond, is experienced very differently from each of its sides. Using BIM software, the firm designed modular prefabricated wooden panels that make up each of the home’s facades. Western red cedar was chosen for the panels, while tropical Bilinga was selected for the edge beam.

Black-framed windows and doors tie in with the black metal roof and dark chimney.

Sited on a rock ledge, the Far Cabin’s screened porch cantilevers over the forest floor for a tree house effect.

The firm wanted the materiality of the cabin to be "in harmony with the site," says Shaw. "So, that over time, the building could weather gracefully and the site around it would change, and they would do so in tandem."

Tiny homes have officially become a thing—and these woodsy getaways will make you want to downsize ASAP.

Estate Bungalow in Matugama, Sri Lanka, by Narein Perera as published in Cabins (Taschen, 2014).

Subtle features incorporated into the design, including an elevated terrace and jetty, help the home float above the island.

Architect Michelle Linden worked with Brothers to create a minimalist house. Inspired by the inward-looking approach of Cistercian abbeys, Linden oriented the U-shaped structure around a courtyard.

Cedar slats help this Ontario lake house float soundly atop still waters. Photo by: Raimund Koch