A Tiny Cabin Retreat That Sits on Boulders

Unique Retreat in the Czech Republic

This tiny cabin retreat is like nothing you've seen before. The tiny cabin by Uhlik Architekti is located in the forests of the Czech Republic, and it's the perfect place to be in nature and relax. This unique small house plan is a forest retreat in the Central Bohemian Region, of the Czech Republic, and offers its owner who has a hectic lifestyle a place to destress and get back to nature and away from the bright lights of Prague. This tiny cabin takes him back to his childhood memories, in a design that left the landscape around it unaltered.

Innovative Design and Natural Materials

The tiny cabin design surrounded by natural scenery rests on the ground on one side and a giant boulder on the other side. This unique build gives the cabin a unique natural appeal while also reducing the impact on the fields around it. The dark exterior was created using charred boards made from fallen trees on the owner's land while the interior of the cabin was built using locally sourced wood. The process for charring the wood is known as Shou Sugi Ban and is a technique that comes from Japan. The tiny cabin design has a simple entry room on the ground that leads to a series of wood steps located at the stern of the can and leads into the elevated end that also offers scenic forest views. The wood steps in the tiny cabin design can be used as sleeping quarters with efficient storage underneath which further adds to the functionality of the tiny cabin. The glass doors bring the forest view inside and also offer a cozy ambiance that ensures this multifunctional cabin building serves its owner for years to come.

The Shou Sugi Ban Technique

The technique of Shou Sugi Ban first originated in Japan in the 18th century as a way to help treat cedar siding to make the wood weatherproof. This technique involves charring a wooden surface to render the wood a deep charcoal-black. Fast forward to today, and the technique has caught on in popularity as a treatment for contemporary home exteriors and indoor furnishings too. Because of its popularity, you will find Shou Sugi Ban wooden products becoming more and more available. If you can't source any Shou Sugi Ban wooden building materials in the area where you live, you might order online, or if you are ambitious, you might attempt this technique yourself.

Steps to Achieve Shou Sugi Ban

To start, you will want to select the right type of wood with cedar working the best for this technique because of its natural chemical properties. Cedar is a lighter, more porous variety of wood, so there is a chemical component that makes it work better than other types of wood for this technique. Next, you will need to burn the wood, which is done with a high-intensity flame such as an ice melting torch. You will want to char the surface of the wood enough so that it eats into the surface. When you see the wood begin to separate, that's an indicator that it's done. You will then need to use a standard wire brush, to remove all the char that was created by the blowtorch, making sure to go in the direction of the wood grain. Lastly you will need to clean and oil the wood.