Skip to Content

Sol Duc Cabin

Olympic Peninsula, Washington

This 350‑square‑foot cabin provides a small perch, raised above the landscape with views onto the Sol Duc River. Located in a temperate rainforest—which here means wet and rather cold, as opposed to wet and hot—lifting the cabin protects it from both clammy dampness and occasional flooding.

The owner is an avid steelhead fisherman, and Sol Duc River has some of the best steelhead fishing in the state. The design allows him and his wife to arrive at this remote location, open up the cabin, and get to fishing as quickly as possible.

The shutters are operated manually via custom steel rods. The large panels slide on hardware that was originally designed for sliding barn doors, attached to the steel roof beam structure. The cabin seals up entirely when not in use and is virtually indestructible—it’s made of unfinished, mild steel and structural insulated panels. Most of the cabin was prefabricated off‑site, which minimized construction waste and site disruption.

I don’t think I could ever design something as beautiful as what’s already here. We’re here to frame the landscape, create an experience of place, and perhaps bring some of that experience—the intimacy, the vulnerability—inside the house. Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA
Design Principal

Studio House

Seattle, Washington

Secret Garden

Uijeongbu, South Korea