Off-the-grid living

The contemporary evolution of the cabin meets new expressions of luxury escapism, even becoming a new form of hospitality and model for the residential sector

Cabin, hut, hytte, cottage, chalet, lodge, dacha. Each culture has its own term. There are few differences between them and some features shared in common: square meters, which generally vary from 10 to 50, the degree of comfort from the interior design, and the architectural form, more or less archetypal; while materials (strictly sustainable, and wood is king) and location (being immersed in nature, whether by the sea, mountain, woods or countryside) are their raison d’être. Their popularity is nothing new, but their importance has gradually grown over the years together with a more careful, sophisticated design, and recently has become a full-fledged trend and even a symbol of luxury escapism. Historically these wooden constructions had a purely practical, functional role as shelters for a temporary residence for travelers and mountaineers, spare seasonal homes, or working-class homes; now they have become places of hospitality or all-around residential accommodations. Attention paid to these buildings and their increased desirability are directly related to a widespread, shared sentiment across the globe: the pursuit for authentic experiences, in contact with an invigorating and regenerating nature, far from the hyper-connectivity of everyday life. In a phrase: “Off-the-grid” experiences. The world of design has come to give a new formal look to these structures, using only primary forms with great creativity, “sprucing up” the original type while leaving its allure intact; more functional and aesthetically appealing design elements are added though they are still marked by a high degree of minimalism; they make use of new technologies, materials, and energy sources to create a structure that is as sustainable as possible and fits well into the context. Having cast aside Spartan overtones, cabins have become key places for stay experiences, which is why they are often promoted by the hospitality sector and for high-level tourism and have also become a model, on a larger scale, for the residential sector that makes this outdoor living a true lifestyle to be enjoyed daily.

Project: The Mountain Refuge Architects: Massimo Gnocchi, Paolo Danesi Photo credits: Courtesy of the architects

Project: Cabin ANNA Architects: Caspar Schols Photo credits: Tõnu Tunnel & Jorrit ‘t Hoen

Project: Seljalandsfoss Horizons Architects: Davíð Kristján Pitt Photo credits: Åsa Steinars, Courtesy of Seljalandsfoss Horizons

Project: 48° Nord Architects: Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter with ASP Architecture Photo credits: Florent Michel @11h45, Yvan Moreau Project: Hytte Architects: Koto Design Interior Designer: Aylott + Van Tromp Photo credits: Merge Visualisation

Project: House LO Architects: Ateliér Lina Bellovičová Photo credits: BoysPlayNice

Project: Lakeside Cabin Architects: Atelier Schwimmer Photo credits: Adrien Williams

Seljalandsfoss Horizons. Photo © Åsa Steinars

To grasp the contemporary evolution of cabins, an exemplary project is The Mountain Refuge, a prefabricated mini-house designed by Italian architects Massimo Gnocchi and Paolo Danesi. As the two architects say, “The Refuge aims to find a balance between sustainability and design. The Mountain Refuge seeks to evoke the traditional archetype through contemporary compositional principles: the hut house, the suggestion of a place of origin.” And it does it in just 25 sqm. Two equal modules (with the option of adding a third module of 12 sqm) are made of plywood, treated on the outside with black pine tar that both makes it a dark color and waterproof, creating an autonomous passive house, which can be located anywhere. Ideally conceived as an open space, it gives a direct view of the outside through a large window bordered by the iconic sloping roof.

The dialogue with the outdoors is taken a step further by Dutch architectural designer Caspar Schols with Cabin ANNA, a wooden house that is “dynamic”, configurable by users. Its most extraordinary feature is the two sliding shells that make it up (one wood and the other, glass) which easily slide on the tracks letting the cabin be opened in the middle, completely or keeping a glass cover, and then to be closed again. It was inspired by buildings such as railway stations that rely only on the side walls for structural integrity; this is the origin of the shaped wooden trusses of the architectural skeleton. All the amenities are contained within 55 sqm (including the patio) with a bedroom for two double beds, a storage space, and a bathtub built into the floor. It also comes in a completely self-sufficient version. Cabin ANNA’s flexibility expanded the original design for a multiplicity of uses: ANNA Stay (cabin for a family of 4), ANNA meet (multifunctional platform to accommodate different activities, from social or private gatherings to professional meetings), and ANNA me (fully customizable project).

The popularity of these “concentrates” of architecture and the considerable fascination they are arousing among travelers have not gone unnoticed in the world of high-level hospitality. The sector quickly grasped the potential to offer a new luxury stay formula, a special experience, with outdoor living in the broadest sense and the total, authentic immersion in the local culture. In the south of Iceland, in Hvolsvöllur, the boundless, pristine landscape near the mythical Seljalandsfoss waterfall (“liquid waterfall”) is interrupted only by eight small wooden structures, which at first sight seem part of the natural landscape. This continuity of elements was sought by the Icelandic studio Davíð Kristján Pitt that designed the luxury lodges of Seljalandsfoss Horizons, owned by two Icelandic families. The eight lodges are made entirely of wood to preserve their warmth and welcoming feel in perfect Nordic style, including in the choice of furnishings. They were designed as single units (43 sqm) on two floors: the upper floor holds the second bedroom, while the living room with kitchen (and bathroom on the ground floor, overlooks an infinite horizon through large scenic windows on the sides of the cabins.

The Norwegian hyttes (the word for typical Norwegian cabins) were the inspiration of Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter with ASP Architecture for their design of an ecotourism accommodation in Alsace, the Breitenbach Landscape Hotel 48° Nord, which perfectly blends Scandinavian style with French culture. Fourteen cabins (between 20 and 60 sqm) are set within 20,000 sqm of green area that is protected (by the Natura 2000 network), standing proudly on a hill in their formal simplicity; untreated chestnut wood of local origin covers all the volumes, combined only with the large glazed openings; four options are available: the Grass hytte, a single floor that winds around the main building which holds, reception, catering, and wellness areas; the Tree and Ivy hytte combine vertical orientations and panoramic views, and, then, the Fjell hytte, on top of the hill, is for families and has reserved outdoor spaces.

The design for hospitality came out of the partnership between the architecture studio Koto Design and the interior design firm Aylott + Van Tromp: Hytte (a name that already reveals the identity of the project) is a multipurpose, prefabricated, and modular cabin, redefining the very idea of retreat. “Hytte is seeking ambitious partners to disrupt the current hospitality and tourism accommodation model from existing hotel brands to new startup ventures,” the co-founders say. Designed as a modular unit, it is also available in a series that can create multiple configurations, suggesting the idea of a village; in wood, with a trapezoidal shape, it has 26 sqm, with sophisticated interiors in a typically minimalist style but with meticulously detailed finishes; corner kitchen, living room, bathroom, built-in bed, and stove are all topped by a spectacular opening on the roof and large windows that keep nature always in view; the furnishings can be selected from Hytte’s partners or completely customized.

The imaginative, alluring power of the cabins, or lodges or hyttes, with their intrinsic naturalness, and seamless contact with nature in which the building is immersed becomes a source of wellbeing for those who live there. This has, of course, come to the residential sector as well, which took inspiration from these structures in their shapes, materials, and values. But, in terms of size and liveability, they are translated into larger scales. For example, House LO, the cabin/house built in Chřiby (Czech Republic) in the middle of a wooded area, was designed by Ateliér Lina Bellovičová for a private client; the 195 sqm house, built with hemp bricks and wood, is separated from the surrounding nature by large sliding windows. Inside are an entrance hall, two bedrooms, a bathroom, as well as a cellar with technical services, a dark room, club room, and storage room. It is completed by a choice of interiors in keeping with the architecture: sleek and essential.

Another example is the Lakeside Cabin designed by Atelier Schwimmer in Knowlton (Canada), overlooking the shores of Lake Brome. This house has become emblematic of the passion of the owners (two brothers) for outdoor life - and the myriad of related activities. The essence of the project is in the vertical atrium that opens onto the lake, dividing in two the house and its 980 sqm; the concrete floor creates continuity between the spaces together with the central fireplace that serves as a fulcrum point and is next to a tripleheight area that makes it always visible. On the second floor, the division is crossed by a bridge that creates additional common spaces and four bedrooms take off from it. On the exterior, the architects opted for larch treated in two ways: charred boards for the walls most in contact with the natural elements, and natural oil to protect the less exposed boards. This creates an interplay of light and shadow, accentuated by several windows that set the rhythm of the entire volume and create an ongoing indoor/outdoor dialogue.