A Small Cabin in the Woods by Septembre Architecture

This “cabin in the woods” has been designed by Septembre Architecture and is found in Trossö, an island off of Sweden. The cabin contains two main living areas, a bedroom/living space and a sauna. (This isn’t the first time we’ve come across a small space with a sauna; check out Passion House, a high end prefab home.)

The two main windows of the cabin frame the two predominant views – the ocean and the forest. A large sliding door effectively doubles the main living space and opens it to the exterior.

The cabin was designed as a retreat for a couple who spend their summers on the remote island (although there’s no indication of a kitchen, or bathroom in the plan). The cabin is located just 50 meters from the North Sea, a view which the clients specifically asked to be incorporated into the design: “a room with a view of the sea [that gives] the feeling of being immersed in the landscape, and to perceive the force of nature yet to be concealed by the trees.”

The clients also wanted the structure to have a minimal impact on the environment and requested that no trees be cut down to create it. To create a low-impact building, they decided to raise the structure off the ground, and support it off of what looks like a timber pile foundation. All the materials involved in the construction of the cabin had to be transported to the site by boat because there are no roads on the island. (Talk about off-grid!)

The overall form of the building is vernacular to the region. Local fishing huts are constructed in a similar fashion, and, like the cabin, contain a generous internal volume. The exterior walls are clad with Swedish spruce. The floorboards are also made of spruce, and the walls and ceiling are finished in plywood.

The large sliding door leads to an exterior deck area, and as stated above, when fully opened the deck almost doubles the size of the living area. To the rear of the living space you’ll find the “bedroom”. The bed is raised on a platform that allowed the designers to incorporate a pull-out storage space (similar to that of our own tiny house design, the Athru).

The sauna is accessed separately through a side door. It contains benches that allows the clients to sit opposite a view of the forest. The entire cabin has been finished with a minimal amount of furniture and appliances, which makes sense considering the aim here was to help the clients connect with the exterior surroundings, not the interior elements.

For more cabins check out the PODhouse, a tiny micro-cabin built in Germany, or the Tye River Cabin in Skykomish, Washington, that can literally open up to the surroundings. See all cabins.

Via ArchDaily
Photos: Alphonse Sarthout