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.

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.

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.

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.

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.