Daria Sheena Studio designed The Nest, an off-grid cabin with cedar-wrapped curved volumes that allow views of the Howe Sound off the coast of British Columbia.
The 1,063-square-foot (99-square-meter) house sits atop a 10-acre site on Cats Island, a remote retreat with just 50 full-time residents near Vancouver.
Daria Sheena Studio, a Vancouver-based design practice, designed the home to be an eco-friendly, self-sufficient, low-impact home and a design that contemplates the deep connections between people and place.
“From the beginning, the context of the site played a central role in shaping the design,” Sheena told Dezeen. “Perched atop the island’s heights with exceptional views of Howe Sound, this place offered an unusual kind of luxury – the feeling of having the entire island to yourself.”
The angular building peeks out from the rugged terrain with moss-covered bedrock and a dense evergreen canopy.
Sheena immediately resonated with the client’s proposed name because “it captured the essential qualities we were already looking for: shelter, intimacy and a sense of belonging.”
“We began to interpret the nest not just as a symbol, but as a spatial idea—closely related to circular movement and space,” he said.
“The result is a sculpture of two rotating volumes, creating a compact yet lively and inspiring three-level living experience.”
Constructed largely of wood, the ground level, which includes the communal kitchen, dining and living rooms, is a rectangular room, while the third-floor bedroom is rotated 90 degrees horizontally and 45 degrees vertically—as if pointed at its corner—and sits under the roof.
The resulting second level is a small lounge with exposed molded walls and views of the public areas below.
“Compact in footprint yet expansive in spatial impression, the Nest maximizes its small building area while maintaining a light contact with the ground,” said the studio.
Integrated forms are aged in western red cedar and blend into the surrounding forest, while minimalist interiors combine exposed wood with green marmoleum floors.
Lift and slide doors open the ground floor to the outside, while band-catches of windows on either side of the slatted roof provide views of the island’s landscape.
“The client’s selection of bespoke homeware adds a lively, cheerful touch, balancing clear architectural forms with unique character,” said the studio.
The cabin runs entirely on solar energy using a roof-mounted array and includes flush toilets and rainwater filtration systems.
Daria Sheena Studio collaborated with BC Passive House to manufacture the large-scale wooden components, which were delivered by helicopter to the inaccessible site.
“The process was a complex puzzle of design, engineering and logistics, but the result is a home that feels both intentional and effortless,” Sheena said.
“It’s a design I’m incredibly proud of, made possible through close collaboration with the client.”
Other off-grid cabins were recently completed in Helsinki, Finland, by Leto Architects, in Victoria, Australia, by Gardner Architects and in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania by Mark Thorpe.
Photography is by Andrew Latrell.
Project Credits:
Design: Daria Sheena Studio
Structural: Balance counseling
Advance Reinforcement: BC passive house
Contractor: Lincoln Construction
Energy Advisor: form energy
Windows and doors: Innotec Windows + Doors
Siding: West Coast Lumber Distribution
CLT Supplier: Mercer
