Exterior Shed Roofline Metal Roof Material Metal Siding Material Cabin Design Photos and Ideas

The preserved grove of Redwoods is just past the house. “They loved the house that was there so much that, it was important to create something that wasn't trying to replace it, but would function for them in a different way,” says Boyer. Thus, this cabin reconnects the couple to the land, and gives them “that place of refuge” they need in nature.
The cabin has charcoal-colored metal siding and a punchy yellow-green front door for contrast.
Boyer first visited the site in 2018 for the redesign. Having grown up in the area, it was awful to see the devastating effects of the fire, but there were also signs of regrowth just a year later. “The redwoods had started to grow a little fuzzy green against the charred black [bark],” says Boyer. “It was kind-of promising. It felt hopeful that nature was coming back so quickly.”
"My goal was to carry on the client’s family legacy by creating a very special place that took inspiration from the landscape,” explains architect Tom Kundig.
On Bainbridge Island, Jim and Hannah Cutler created a cabin for reading and working. Sited just steps from the main house, it’s a welcoming retreat that the father and daughter share.
Constructed with sustainably sourced lumber and large, double-pane windows, Studio Shed’s all-season Signature Series units are popularly used as backyard offices.
Set on a southeast-facing slope, the AB Cabin is fitted with double-glazed windows that frame views of the town of Taihape and rolling hills beyond.
"When we bought the property it was so inexpensive that we had naturally assumed that it would be off-grid," says Copeland. "But it turned out that some wastewater drainage had recently been installed by the local authority and that powerlines were close by."
Designed to sleep eight, the flexible cabin can be used as a quiet retreat for the couple or a gathering place for family and friends.
Concrete blocks lead up to an elevated timber deck with a sliding aluminum entrance door.
The AB Cabin is set in the middle of high country with Mount Ruapehu to the north and the Ruahine Ranges to the south. The building takes inspiration from the surrounding timber-framed houses and metal-clad farm buildings.
Just outside Stowe, Vermont, the Barr family cabin, designed by architect Tom Kundig, sits on a hillside overlooking a dense landscape of maples, Scotch pines, and ferns. Kundig wrapped two of the cabin’s three stories in Cor-Ten steel, a signature material for the designer.
Land Ark RV used Cumaru—a renewable Brazilian hardwood—for the deck and the inset siding of this tiny home’s exterior. The deck can be raised and lowered for transport in two minutes via an interior switch.
"The 900-square-foot cabin perches on one piece of granite, projecting precariously over a steep drop-off to afford dramatic eastern views across the valley below," says Isamu Kanda, principal at I-Kanda.
Accessible only by foot, the On Mountain Hut is sited on Piz Lunghin, or “the roof of Europe,” the continent’s only triple watershed. Water here flows into the Danube, Rhine, and Po rivers.
Geometric in form, the cabin mirrors the jagged peaks in the distance.
The hut combines “our love of mountains with our love of design. It fuses tradition with innovation,” the brand explains.
Surrounded by wheat fields on a high-altitude plateau stands a small glass house and a solid, traditional barn. The owners, inspired by Philip Johnson’s Glass House, wanted a refuge that opens up to the prairie and mountains.
On an island 20 miles off the coast of Maine, a writer, with the help of his daughter, built not only a room, but an entire green getaway of his own.
The Outward Bound cabins, designed by the University of Colorado Denver's design-build program, have steel frames that lift the structures above a three-foot snowpack while supporting corrugated-steel "snow roofs."
The 301-square-foot cabin is situated on 99 acres on Bruny Island, an island off the coast of Tasmania. For the exterior, the architects have chosen materials that "comply with the Bushfire Attack Level of 19," they explain, including bushfire resistant wood and zincalume metal. The cabin collects its own rainwater—storage tanks are underground for an uncluttered look—and the roof sports solar panels.
Outfitted with a desk, storage, and wiring, the Site Shack is equipped for work.
This house has an exterior of black panels and clear-grain cedar tongue-and-groove siding, and a rooftop deck that lets its owners enjoy the outdoors.
This cabin has a commodious kitchen and living area that encourages family and friends to come together for meals and conversation.
The view from Bruce's cabin is a sight for sore eyes. One of the outermost inhabited islands on the American eastern seaboard, Criehaven (technically Ragged Island) is located 20 miles off the Maine coast and one mile south of Matinicus Island.
When Alex or Bruce leave the island, closing up shop is as simple as sliding panels of corrugated metal into place to protect the windows.
One of the early challenges of building the house was defining the property lines of the lot, which had come to be known as "the floating acre" among the local fishermen.
The screen porch serves as an auxiliary dining area and extends past the house to capture views and cross breezes.
Alex devised a system that takes advantage of ocean views while protecting the cottage from that same northeasterly orientation. The large windows and doors can be shuttered with corrugated aluminum panels.
Buyers should cast as wide a net as possible in terms of location and amenities.
Constructed on land he had owned for years, this tiny cabin is also totally green.
Land Ark RV’s Draper is a midcentury modern-inspired tiny house with clean lines, a simple and elegant layout, and an angled ceiling.
The Cumaru deck can be lowered and raised for transport in two minutes via a manual winch mounted inside.
Land Ark RV used Camura—a renewable Brazilian hardwood—for the deck and the inset siding.
Because the studio does not have air-conditioning, it relies on natural ventilation for passive cooling. Its north orientation harnesses good solar gains.
"With both sliding doors open, the two decks connect seamlessly through the building, dramatically changing the sense of scale, space, and connection to the site."
"Translucent glass in the sliding doors references the light qualities of Japanese rice-paper screens, creating a sense of enclosure and privacy at night, while encouraging the occupant to open them during the day," explain the architects. "They also prevent birds, including the endangered swift parrot, from attempting to fly through the building and striking the glass."
Chin abstracted a simple gable form—a profile which is more common in the area—to create a more contemporary asymmetrical profile.
The 925-square-foot house Maggie Treanor calls home blends into the landscape somewhat; with a galvanized steel shed roof and siding, it looks like a high-design little brother to the barns on the surrounding farms.
Dynamic rooflines create interesting forms while simultaneously opening clerestory windows perfect for letting in natural light to each studio.
The main house includes a generous amount of outdoor space, extending the living area into the surrounding forest.
Says Kundig, “The clients are great parents and are always undertaking adventures as a mindful, deliberate way of developing memories as a family.”
The walls of the bar open up, giving it a playful
The roll-up garage doors on the ocean-facing facade open onto a large deck. From the living room the deck appears to extend right out to the sea like a floating dock.