Staggered Cabin
Area source: ArchDaily narrative gives 1,400 sf; its metadata lists 110 m². We use the approximate narrative figure; measurement basis remains unconfirmed. Style and category are editorial classifications.
Mork-Ulnes Architects
Cabin volumes among the trees
Small house, generous edges
A cabin gains room by paying attention to what happens between its parts.
Staggered Cabin has a talent for making the leftover space matter. Its shed-roofed volumes step down the slope, forming little courts around pines, granite, and a sunny patch of ground. Each shift in the building gives something back to the outside.
Inside, plywood keeps the material language direct. The roof geometry makes room for mezzanines, while the shared living space opens outward on two sides. The plan asks a compact footprint to do several jobs, then uses height and outdoor connections to keep those jobs from crowding one another.
What makes the project compelling is the scale of its attention. A nearby tree or boulder can be a worthy view; a small court can be a real room. Before enlarging a cabin, it is worth drawing its edges more carefully. Some of the most generous space may sit just beyond the walls.
AIA San Francisco 2026 Design Awards finalist—not an award-winner designation.
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