The archetypal cabin is square or rectangular, but you can still achieve that cozy nature-centric feeling when you think outside the box (literally.) An interesting design out in coastal Denmark uses thin strips of pine to create a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and the effect is beautiful, especially on the inside.
For Copenhagen-based studio Valbaek Brørup Architects, the use of pine was important for several reasons. First of all, they wanted to use materials that are locally available and found right on the building site. Using wood was also important to make it “cabin-like,” especially since they’re deviating from conventional forms. But just as crucially, pine imparts an unparalleled fragrance to the interiors.
“The interior is all made of pine. The smell, sound and atmosphere is like being in a traditional cabin. We wanted to copy the materials, colors and atmosphere on the site, so we didn’t want to paint anything – especially not white.”
“We wanted to create a house with a form that is connected to the existing rural building tradition, as a reference to the more industrial agricultural buildings of Danish farms,” partner Stefan Valbaek told Dezeen.
As you can see, the corrugated roof recalls the materials and shapes of livestock buildings and silos, so although the home is modern, it doesn’t feel out of place in its context.
There’s a bedroom loft tucked just under the ceiling, open on both sides to draw in natural light, while the majority of the space is dedicated to common pine-clad living areas. It’s always neat to see the different ways people use pine, and all the global variations on the traditional cabin.
