An Indoor–Outdoor Cabin in the Woods
For Caspar Schols, Cabin ANNA was never just about design. “What essentially sparked [it] was my father passing away”, Schols explained. “I was 21 at that time, and I started having very vivid dreams of him. He told me ‘you have to go back to nature,’ so I basically did the most literal thing you can do: I designed a house that can open up to nature.” It was in this setting that the Dutch designer found some solace, “I started to heal. I was surrounded by life, I literally came to life.”
Facing down the house in question – or, most accurately, one of its ensuing iterations – there is little surprise that its remarkable design sprung from a remarkable story. The design of this tiny home, with a footprint of just 30 to 50 square meters (322–538 sqft), hinges on a transformative concept wherein the boundaries of the cabin are not static but adjustable by the inhabitants. In simple terms: cabin-goers can slide open two parallel exterior walls to completely open the interior to the outside world. Schols explains that this adaptability is key to his design ethos: instead of having a rigid, closed structure, Cabin ANNA offers a fluid connection with the outdoors.“This place is about connecting not only to the environment, but also to yourself,” he added.
A Sanctuary in the Heart of a National Park
After creating his first version in 2016, which he gifted to his mother, Anna, Schols continued to refine the design toward making it available in limited releases for clients. We toured one such cabin nestled in the heart of Biesbosch National Park, a nature reserve in the Netherlands. The cabin sits by a rare freshwater delta – “the only one in Europe,” notes Schols – and offers a sanctuary where people can experience nature up close. Anyone who has ever even seen an image of these cabins would likely agree that this seems true, but they would also know that they are far from rustic too.
The cabin’s small footprint and modular exterior does not sacrifice its comforts, functionality, and general “sophistication” (for lack of a better word). The core structure consists of three parts: a fixed section, which houses the kitchen, bathroom, utility room, and mezzanine bedroom; a central sliding glass-and-wood layer featuring the main bed and a bathtub; and finally a terrace, which can be exposed or roofed depending on the walls’ position.
Simple, Clever Design
An air of Scandinavian minimalism runs through the overarching design aesthetic, which relies on clean lines, light wood, and simple decor. Little to distract you from the natural beauty all around it. The galley-style kitchen provides a hint of something different with its stainless steel counters used to create a durable yet aesthetically pleasing cooking area. The bathroom follows in this theme with a stainless steel-clad shower, though it is stationed adjacent to a large window, allowing for a continued connection to the outside world.
To maximize the use of the main space, Schols devised a clever solution of storing the bed in the floor via an easy-to-use winch system, allowing for flexibility in how the interior is used. Schols’ personal favourite part of the cabin, however, is the bath, which is also set into the ground alongside the bed. When the walls are open and you’re bathing in the outdoors: “You cannot get closer to the essence of life,” he beamed. This design of hiding key features under floor panels makes the cabin perfect for all sorts of gatherings, whether it be a dinner or yoga retreat.
It also should not go without saying that the cabin is also entirely off-grid, powered by solar panels for hot water in the summer and a wood stove for heating the boiler in the winter. Water is sourced from 30 meters below the cabin, with wastewater filtered through a three-phase sewage system that is clean enough to return to the wildlife reserve. Plus, if at any time the cabin’s need to be relocated, their "demountable" design allows them to be disassembled – leaving no trace.
Quality over Quantity
Cabin ANNA’s design is a testament to the idea that high-quality living can exist in small spaces. Schols’ vision for Cabin ANNA is not only about architecture but also about inspiring people to reconnect with nature and themselves, all within the embrace of a thoughtfully designed, compact space. Through its innovative features and intimate connection to the environment, Cabin ANNA demonstrates that it is possible to live simply, sustainably, and beautifully, no matter the size of the space.
