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.
Sol Duc Cabin
Olympic Peninsula, Washington
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
Team
Awards
2014
AIA National Housing Awards, Architecture, Housing Award
AIA Northwest and Pacific Region Awards, Honor Award
2011
AIA Seattle Honor Awards, Merit Award
Publications
2020
Small But Smart. Berlin: Braun, Sep. 2020, 210-215. Book.
Thakrar, Tina. “In Conversation with Olson Kundig.” Good Homes India, 20 Jul. 2020. Web.
2019
“10 New Year’s Resolutions for Architects.” Architizer, 1 Jan. 2019. Web.
Hartman, Darrell. “A Design Lover’s Guide to Fly Fishing.” Architectural Digest, 16 Jul. 2019. Web.
2018
Mollard, Manon. “Retrospective Olson Kundig.” The Architectural Review, 13 Aug. 2018. Web.
Mollard, Manon. “Retrospective Olson Kundig.” The Architectural Review, July/Aug. 2018, 80-84. Print.
2017
小埠南岭生态城. “设计个随意门,将美景揽入怀.” Wzaobao, 4 Jan. 2017. Web.
Jodidio, Philip. “Olson Kundig Architects.” Small Architecture, Cologne: Taschen, Mar. 2017, 368-373. Print.
Kramer, Sibylle. “Nomadic Living: Relocatable Residences.” Cologne: Braun, 2017, 164-169. Book.
“La cabane Sol Duc.” Tresors, 5 Jan. 2017. Web.
“TOM KUNDIG – DE 3 MEEST WAANZINNIGE HUIZEN VAN DEZE AMERIKAANSE MEESTER.” MadPac, 2 Feb. 2017. Web.
Williams, Allison. “Architect Tom Kundig Is the King of Cabin Porn.” Seattle Met, June 2017, 55-57. Print.
Williams, Allison. “Architect Tom Kundig Is the King of Cabin Porn.” Seattle Met, 15 May 2017. Web.
2016
Couto, Manel Gutiérrez. 150 Best Tiny Home Ideas. New York: Harper Design, 2016, xxx. Book.
Garcia, Alberto and Ley Rocío. “10 cabanas MODERNAS.” Architectural Digest Spain, 17 Feb. 2016. Web.
“This Steel Cabin Could Survive a Zombie Apocalypse.” Esquire, 26 May 2016. Web.
2015
“Sol Duc Cabin.” Architizer, Nov. 2015. Web.
The Angry Architect. “10 New Year’s Resolutions for Architects.” Architizer, 4 Jan. 2016. Web.