June 16, 2021

Four Small Hospitality Projects Blend Seamlessly Into the Natural Landscape

From rural retreats and wilderness camps to forest hideaways, small structures that blend seamlessly into the natural landscape are a hot trend in hospitality design.

Photography by BoysPlayNice.

Firm: Ark-Shelter

Project: Tree Houses, Hotel Björnson, Jasná, Slovakia

Standout: To minimize environmental damage to the wooded site, the guest
cottages—each comprising a pair of independent modules that can be joined by sliding back a shared internal wall—have been carefully placed between the trees, raised on stilts above the ground, and topped by green roofs, which doubles the natural biotope they float over.

Photography by Brian Scott Peterson.

Firm: Klein Dytham architecture

Project: PokoPoko, Tochigi, Japan

Standout: A cluster of three cone-shape structures, the Risonare Nasu hotel’s clubhouse gives each pavilion its own function: cooking and dining, an indoor playground for kids, and a fireplace lounge for grown-ups.

Imagery by Merge Visualisation.

Firm: Koto Design and Aylott + Van Tromp

Project: Hytte

Standout: Named after the Norwegian word for cottage, Hytte is a new company that designs, furnishes, and delivers sustainable modular cabins, both off-the-shelf and custom models, for hospitality projects worldwide—a partnership between the two U.K.-based firms, which are responsible for the minimalist Nordic-inspired
architecture and interiors, respectively.

Photography by Florent Michel @11h45.

Firm: Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter

Project: Hotel 48° Nord, Breitenbach, France

Standout: Untreated wood from a locally sourced chestnut tree clads the main building and 14 guest cabins that dot the hillside at this Alsatian eco-retreat, the little structures’ arrestingly geometric forms—there are four distinct typologies—enclosing rustic interiors featuring blond millwork, built-in furniture, and bucolic views epitomizing the Nordic concept of hygge.

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