Cabin Fever

When we think about cabins, we often picture a classic log cabin, with a crackling fire, exposed structural wooden beams, and a moody color palette. But if there’s one thing we can glean from the cabins in this book, it’s that most architects have moved on. Contemporary trends have gone well beyond the much-loved traditional aesthetic, updating it with restrained interiors and bright, open spaces. Designed to make the most of their environment, they offer expansive views of the surrounding scenery. Nestled in thriving woodlands, overlooking bodies of water, or even exposed to the elements on a mountain’s peak, architects are contending to create high-impact spaces on a small scale.

Cabin Fever is a collection of the most enticing cabin architecture on earth, conceived by some of the world’s most daring architects and creative designers such as BIG, Sigurd Larsen or Norm Architects. Indulgent yet restrained, private yet open, the cabins featured in this book play on local vernacular and present unique forms: meticulously conceived angular constructions, propped up on support beams or sandwiched into cliff edges.

As human beings, at our core we gravitate toward nature, toward breaths of fresh air under starry skies. Nature soothes our adventurous inner child, who wants to be swallowed up in majesty and marvel at the world. It is no wonder, then, that we cannot get enough of cabin culture, especially since changing priorities and circumstances, as well as limitations on our desire for globetrotting, during the pandemic, have fostered a newfound appreciation for regional getaways. With interviews from leading architects and expert do-it-yourself advice, this book showcases a new wave of modern hideaways and explores the elaborate engineering methods used to create these dwellings while highlighting how the cabins have been gently embedded into their natural surroundings. It delves into the culture and history of mountain huts and hiking shelters, and investigates the lure of the off-grid escape, while also looking at the prefabricated cabin movement, whose designs address our ever-changing needs—years after being installed, they can be packed up and sent to a new place. Then there are tips on how to decorate the interior of your cabin, as well as logistical information about what to pack for the great outdoors. Whether it’s a future-forward treehouse nestled in a forest canopy or a glass-walled construction offering panoramic views of the mountains, modern cabins are paradoxically taking us back to basics. Cabin Fever allows you the chance to escape, slow down, and reboot, with cabins that provide a simple, uncomplicated existence—even just for a brief moment in time.