Louis Vuitton’s Fall–Winter 2026 men’s show unfolds around the DROPHAUS, a prefabricated architectural environment conceived by Pharrell Williams in collaboration with the Japanese hospitality firm NOT A HOTEL. Installed at the Jardin d’Acclimatation in Paris, the structure, installed by Bureau Betak, becomes a domestic landscape through which the collection is narrated. Presented as a wooden freight crate that opens to reveal a droplet-shaped home, the DROPHAUS stages a vision of ‘timeless living,’ framing the core ideas of the collection around endurance, utility, and material experimentation.

The show situates the future in the familiar setting of a house in a garden. The prefabricated home is imagined as a dwelling for the Louis Vuitton dandy of the near future. Williams designs the interiors with his own HOMEWORK furniture pieces, whose rough, craggy geometries emphasize the role of the human hand. This spatial turn aligns with Williams’ growing involvement in hospitality and real-estate concepts, including his recent collaboration with NOT A HOTEL, Japa Valley Tokyo, a one-hectare art, retail, and hospitality complex developed with NIGO and set to open in 2027 (find designboom’s previous coverage here).

all images courtesy of Louis Vuitton

a runway staged around a droplet-inspired transportable house

The droplet element, inspiring the form of the residence, becomes a recurring metaphor throughout the Louis Vuitton show, representing small-scale actions that generate long-term ripple effects. This idea is embedded into the rounded, fluid volumes of the building, echoed in the garments, and later literalized in crystal embellishments, ripple-molded sneaker soles, and splash-like surfaces, transforming the runway into a lived-in environment.

This immersive environment supports Williams’ broader concept for the collection, based on a form of futurism rooted in continuity. The show presents a future built from familiar typologies, heritage tailoring patterns, everyday fabrics, and recognizable architectural forms reworked through material science and artisanal techniques. The DROPHAUS becomes the spatial equivalent of this approach as a recognizable home, but reshaped by speculative logic.

Louis Vuitton’s Fall–Winter 2026 men’s show unfolds around the DROPHAUS

material illusion as a spatial and textile strategy

Material innovation, described by Louis Vuitton as Timeless Textiles, plays a central role in how the collection relates to its architectural setting. Many of the fabrics mimic familiar surfaces. Denim reflects light, tailoring cloths are woven with technical yarns, silk and chambray shells are thermo-adaptive, and textiles are bonded with aluminum that reshapes with movement. These materials mirror the prefabricated logic of the structure, which is lightweight, transportable, and engineered.

Trompe l’oeil effects appear throughout the collection, with garments masquerading as other materials: silk posed as nylon, crocodile resembling cowhide, and mink resembling toweling. This visual trickery resonates with the DROPHAUS itself, which presents a prefabricated structure as a ‘timeless’ dwelling. The home looks familiar, but its form, transportability, and symbolism signal something more speculative.

a prefabricated architectural environment conceived by Pharrell Williams in collaboration NOT A HOTEL

world-building beyond the catwalk

The droplet motif is developed further in the show’s detailing, from hand-applied crystal embellishments to the new LV Drop sneaker, whose sole is molded like ripples in water. These gestures reinforce the idea that small interventions, whether they’re visual, material, or conceptual, can produce cumulative effects. The architecture, clothing, accessories, and even soundtrack participate in this logic, all contributing to what Louis Vuitton describes as a ‘world within a world.’

The soundtrack of the Fall–Winter 2026 men’s show, produced by Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton’s Paris headquarters, extends this world-building into sound. Featuring debut tracks by John Legend, Jackson Wang, A$AP Rocky, and Quavo, the music frames the runway as a cross-genre performance space rather than a conventional fashion show. 

the structure becomes a domestic landscape through which the collection is narrated

the set transforms the runway into a lived-in environment

Williams designs the interiors with his own HOMEWORK furniture pieces

this immersive environment supports Williams’ broader concept for the collection

the show presents a future built from familiar typologies

material innovation plays a central role in how the collection relates to its architectural setting

this spatial turn aligns with Williams’ growing involvement in hospitality and real-estate concepts

trompe l’oeil effects appear throughout the collection, with garments masquerading as other materials

materials mirror the prefabricated logic of the structure

core ideas of the collection include endurance, utility, and material experimentation

project info:

name: Louis Vuitton | @louisvuitton Men’s Fall–Winter 2026 Show

creative director: Pharrell Williams | @pharrell

set design: Pharrell Williams in collaboration with NOT A HOTEL | @notahotel_official, Bureau Betak | @bureaubetak

location: Jardin d’Acclimatation, Paris, France

olfactory design: Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, Louis Vuitton Master Perfumer

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Living on Groundwater by Aleksa Milojevic and Matthew W Wilde is a 25 sqm prefabricated dwelling that received first prize in the Kingspan-funded MICROHOME #10 competition, organized by Buildner. Developed as a response to groundwater depletion, the project reframes the microhome not as a self-contained unit but as part of a broader environmental system. Through its design, the dwelling links domestic occupation directly to water management and ecological repair.

The MICROHOME #10 competition called for an off-grid dwelling under 25 sqm, encouraging participants to explore how compact architecture can address contemporary environmental and social challenges. Free of site constraints, the competition functions as a testing ground for material strategies, spatial efficiency, and environmental performance at the scale of individual housing. Living on Groundwater engages this framework by responding to conditions in Punjab, India, where groundwater extraction supports both daily life and intensive agricultural activity.

Water functions as the primary design driver of the project. The dwelling is organized around processes of water collection, use, treatment, and return. Rainwater is captured on site, greywater is recycled, and treated surplus water is directed back into the aquifer through an injection well, allowing the building to operate as a hydro-positive system. By making these processes central to the architectural concept, the project positions domestic habitation as an active participant in long-term groundwater replenishment.

all images courtesy of Aleksa Milojevic and Matthew W Wilde

The project wins first prize in Buildner’s MICROHOME competition

Architecturally, the structure is elevated on a raised timber frame, minimizing disturbance to the ground while allowing water flow, air movement, and vegetation to pass beneath. A permeable facade system mediates light, views, and environmental conditions, responding to seasonal variation while maintaining visual connection to the surrounding landscape. Within the compact footprint, spatial organization prioritizes flexibility. A lofted sleeping area frees the ground level for living and working functions, while modular storage and adaptable surfaces allow the interior to shift throughout the day. Prefabricated wall and roof assemblies support efficient construction and suggest scalability across rural contexts facing similar environmental pressures. Rather than focusing solely on minimizing impact, Living on Groundwater proposes a model in which housing contributes to the repair of the ecological systems it depends on. Infrastructure, typically concealed below ground, is made legible through architectural form, section, and construction logic.

The jury cited the project’s clarity of system integration, technical resolution, and effective use of drawings and diagrams in communicating environmental performance and buildability. Among submissions addressing climate adaptation and modular living, Living on Groundwater was recognized for aligning spatial design with ecological process.

Aleksa Milojevic is a New York–based architectural designer, researcher, and filmmaker whose work examines urban conditions, spatial symbolism, and socio-cultural participation. Matthew W Wilde is a Brooklyn-based architectural designer working across built projects and speculative research, with a focus on social and ecological commons. Together, their collaborative practice operates at the intersection of architecture, research, and experimentation. Living on Groundwater received the first prize as part of MICROHOME #10’s broader investigation into how small-scale architecture can respond to global environmental challenges.

a linear walkway follows the irrigation canal, connecting the dwelling to surrounding fields

the main living space opens to surrounding fields through a permeable facade

the living space uses flexible furnishings and built-in storage, with cabinetry and shelving embedded in the structure

an elevated sleeping loft maximizes floor area and creates a quiet retreat above the ground plane

the bathroom integrates greywater recovery within the domestic core, with filtration systems concealed in the wet zone

operable panels extend the living space into the landscape, blurring interior and exterior

the compact form and permeable facade create a calm domestic presence embedded in the landscape

project info:

name: Living On Groundwater
designer: Aleksa Milojevic, Matthew Wilde

competition: MICROHOME #10, Buildner

location: Punjab, India

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Daria Sheina Studio presents a model of remote living with The Nest, a house rising above the dense coastal forests of Keats Island, just off the shore of Vancouver, Canada.

Built for a forested, largely inaccessible site, the three-story retreat is fully self-sufficient and is assembled using prefabricated mass timber elements that were flown in by helicopter. The project reflects a broader interest in how small-scale architecture can adapt to difficult terrains with minimal environmental impact. 

Composed of two offset geometric volumes stacked vertically over three levels, the 100-square-meter home is organized from bottom to top, housing an entry and living space on the first floor, a lounge on the second, and a bedroom at the top, allowing for views, privacy, and a small footprint.

all images by Andrew Latreille

The Nest is a low-impact approach to remote island living

Keats Island, a short ferry ride from Vancouver, has a year-round population of around 50 residents and limited infrastructure. The home’s name, The Nest, was chosen by the clients and informed much of the conceptual thinking behind the design. ‘It evoked a sense of solitude and belonging.’ shares founder of the studio Daria Sheina, describing how the idea of a nest, protective, embedded, and shaped by its surroundings, guides the formal and spatial logic of the project. 

The site, which spans four hectares, required a low-impact building strategy due to its ecological sensitivity and inaccessibility. With no road access to the top of the island, all materials had to be transported by barge and helicopter. Prefabrication was critical, so the Vancouver-based design practice Daria Sheina Studio worked with construction company BC Passive House to develop a digitally modeled, panelized structure that could be efficiently fabricated, delivered, and assembled on site. Once delivered, the shell was installed in two days.

Daria Sheina Studio presents a model of remote living with The Nest

red cedar clads the interior of the solar-powered island retreat

Daria Sheina Studio aims to merge the home into its forested context through material choices, driven by durability and efficiency. Western red cedar siding will weather to a natural grey, while exposed timber and green linoleum, cladding the interior, mirror the surrounding moss and forest floor. The building is powered entirely by solar energy, uses rainwater collection and filtration, and includes an incinerating toilet, allowing it to function independently from municipal utilities.

The interior design focuses on clarifying the functions, while the furnishings include client-selected pieces that introduce color and texture. In addition to the main house, the site also includes a small bunkie and workshed, integrated into the lush setting without formal landscaping or clearing.

For the clients, Chadd Andre and Sean Sikorski, the project is meant to provide an alternative to city life in terms of scale and pace. ‘Keats Island is such a special place – it’s so close to the city, and yet a million miles away. The Nest is meant to amplify that effect for us, providing us with an escape to balance our sanity and mental health from the realities we easily get caught up in back in Vancouver. As its name implies, The Nest is a sheltering, nurturing space in the trees,’ they explain, describing the home as a place to reset. It is close enough to Vancouver to remain accessible but remote enough to allow for a complete shift in environment.

the house is rising above the dense coastal forests of Keats Island

the three-story retreat is fully self-sufficient and is assembled using prefabricated mass timber elements

the 100-square-meter home is composed of two offset geometric volumes

prefab elements were flown in by helicopter

the furnishings include client-selected pieces that introduce color and texture

exposed timber and green linoleum mirror the surrounding moss and forest floor

for the clients the project is meant to provide an alternative to city life in terms of scale and pace

the building is powered entirely by solar energy

once delivered, the shell was installed in two days

the home’s name, The Nest, informs much of the conceptual thinking behind the design

the site also includes a small bunkie and workshed

project info:

name: The Nest

designer: Daria Sheina Studio | @dariasheina_studio

location: Keats Island, BC, Canada

total floor area: 98.76 square meters

site area: 4.05 hectares

structural: Equilibrium Consulting | @equilibrium.consulting.inc

prefabrication: BC Passive House | @bcpassivehouse

contractor: Lincoln Construction | @buildwithlincoln

energy advisor: Shape Energy | @shape.energy

CLT supplier: Mercer 

windows & doors: Innotech Windows + Doors

siding: Westcoast Wood Distribution | @westcoastwood.co

photographer: Andrew Latreille | @latreillephotography

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Red Cabin is an experimental holiday home developed as part of the Merryda Wiki World – Secret Camp, a forest-based project composed of more than a dozen discreet treehouses set within a metasequoia woodland inhabited by migratory birds. The project, located in Dongxihu District, Wuhan, forms part of Wiki World’s ongoing ’Wiki Building School’ initiative, which explores alternative living models through co-building with nature.

The site is a dense metasequoia forest characterized by seasonal ecological activity and minimal human intervention. The cabin was positioned in direct response to existing vegetation, with all trees preserved and no ground hardening introduced. Construction relies on fully elevated prefabricated timber structures, allowing the forest floor to remain untouched and maintaining the site’s original ecological condition.

The cabin’s form and color were conceived in reference to a migratory bird, resulting in a compact wooden volume finished entirely in red. The structure stands out visually while remaining physically detached from the ground. The project is designed as an off-grid retreat, emphasizing isolation, limited access, and minimal intervention. Its remote placement reinforces a living condition defined by reduced infrastructure and direct engagement with the surrounding environment.

all images by Arch-Exist

Compact Interiors and Material-Driven Design define Red Cabin

The building is constructed entirely from laminated timber. All irregular components and joints were digitally designed and custom-fabricated, enabling a fully prefabricated assembly process. The structure follows a modular logic, allowing for efficient transportation, on-site assembly, disassembly, and potential reuse. Small metal connectors link timber elements and support repeated assembly without permanent alteration to the site.

Interior spaces are compact and deliberately constrained, aligning with Wiki World’s exploration of reduced spatial dimensions, including the concept of a ’2-meter-wide home.’ Each room includes a window oriented toward the forest, establishing visual continuity with the surroundings. The entrance facade is minimally articulated, marked only by a circular light and the doorway. Material strategies emphasize proximity to texture and construction detail. Carbonized wood boards, produced through traditional firing techniques, are used for the exterior cladding. The elevated structure eliminates the need for walls or artificial landscaping, allowing the surrounding forest to function as the primary spatial enclosure.

Red Cabin continues Hubei-based firm Wiki World’s broader research into small-scale wilderness dwellings that prioritize environmental responsiveness, prefabrication, and adaptable timber systems. By focusing on the relationship between living behavior and natural context rather than conventional residential standards, the project positions architecture as a lightweight, reversible intervention within the landscape.

Red Cabin is an experimental holiday home set within the Merryda Wiki World – Secret Camp

the project is located in a metasequoia forest in Dongxihu District, Wuhan

the site is defined by dense vegetation and seasonal ecological activity

the cabin is elevated above the forest floor to avoid ground disturbance

prefabricated timber systems allow the landscape to remain untouched

the compact structure is finished entirely in red

the form references the figure of a migratory bird

Red Cabin is designed as an off-grid retreat with limited infrastructure

the building is constructed entirely from laminated timber components

carbonized wood boards are used for the exterior cladding

interior spaces are compact and intentionally constrained

each room includes a window oriented toward the surrounding forest

the entrance facade is defined by a circular light and a single doorway

the project explores architecture as a lightweight and reversible intervention in nature

project info:

name: Merryda Wiki World-Red Cabin-[Wild Home #137]

architect: Wiki World | @wiki__world

design team: Mu Wei, Feng Zhaoxian, Wu Baorong, He Wen, Xu Xiaodong, Liao Xiaotian, Wang Yuanying, Chen Liang

location: Wuhan, China

photographer: Arch-Exist | @archexist

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Designed in collaboration between MVRDV and local practice ADDP Architects, two residential towers dubbed the Irwell Hill Residences rise above the dense urban weave of Singapore. The project presents a study in how modular construction can carry architectural nuance. The 36-story development, with its pixelated facades, employs prefabricated pre-finished volumetric construction, a method that allows entire rooms to be assembled off-site before being stacked into place. This way, the building process minimizes waste and labor while maintaining precision.

Commissioned by City Developments Limited, the project exemplifies Singapore’s continuing commitment to productivity-driven construction. However, the collaboration between MVRDV and ADDP Architects moves beyond efficiency to consider the towers‘ texture, depth, and relationship to light.

images © Finbarr Fallon

mvrdv’s facade of occupiable pixels

Designing Singapore’s Irwell Hill Residences with ADDP Architects, MVRDV‘s intervention lies in the articulation of the facade. Each prefabricated unit becomes a single ‘pixel,’ and through variation in projection and finish, these modules form an irregular rhythm across the building’s surface. Metal frames extend or recede to form balconies, producing a measured relief that changes throughout the day as sunlight glances across it. Gold and deep brown tones run through the pattern, referencing climbing plants and lending a soft, organic variation to the composition.

The approach transforms repetition, an inevitable trait of modularity, into an asset. Where uniformity might flatten a building’s presence, the pixelated treatment gives each tower a sense of motion and individuality within the grid.

Irwell Hill Residences uses modular construction to shape two textured towers in Singapore

punctuated by green space

Between the Singapore towers’ vertical planes, greenery marks a pause in the ascent. The 24th floor opens into a four-story sky garden where trees and planting weave through the structure, visible from the street as a band of color and texture. At the rooftop, Irwell Sky offers a more intimate space framed by double- and triple-height modules that reveal the plantings within.

These shared landscapes punctuate the complex facade with pockets of green social infrastructure. They soften the towers’ outline against the skyline and create shaded, breathable thresholds for residents, aligning with Singapore’s broader commitment to vertical greenery and liveable density.

‘Over the decades, Singapore has shown itself to be a city of incredible innovation in architecture and urbanism,’ says MVRDV founding partner Nathalie de Vries. ‘The city is once again showing leadership in modular construction, and is seeing the benefits of PPVC in reducing waste, carbon emissions, and disruption to city life. With Irwell Hill  Residences, alongside ADDP Architects we took aim at the next step in that story of innovation: a PPVC

project that prioritises variety and liveability.’

MVRDV introduces a pixelated facade that varies depth and shadow

balconies formed by recessed and projected modules create subtle relief

gold and deep brown tones bring warmth to the towers

landscaped sky gardens can be discovered along the 24th floor

Irwell Sky offers a smaller shared landscape at the rooftop

The facade design turns repetition into a source of identity

project info:

name: Irwell Hill Residences

architect: MVRDV | @mvrdv

location: Singapore

completion: 2025

client: City Developments Limited

photography: © Finbarr Fallon | @fin.barr

founding partner in charge: Nathalie de Vries
partner: Wenchian Shi
design team: Lorenzo Mattozzi, Marco Gazzola, Alberto Menozzi, Luca Beltrame, Fredy Fortich, Amanda Galiana Ortega, Andrea Ventura, Monika Wiecha, Chi Zhang
visualizations: Antonio Luca Coco, Gianlorenzo Petrini

co-architect (building design, project coordination): ADDP Architects LLP | @addparchitects
landscape architect: Ecoplan
structural engineer: TW-Asia Consultants Pte Ltd.
MEP: United Project Consultants Pte Ltd.
interior architect: Index Design Pte Ltd.

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Doarchiwow’s Forest Nests Treepod Project is a modular ecological dwelling concept conceived as both a resort prototype and a model for near-zero-carbon, low-impact construction. The series reimagines the treehouse typology as a vertical, nature-integrated community adaptable to diverse environments, from coastal zones to urban forests in China’s Rizhao and Wuhan.

The architectural language of Forest Nests draws from bird nests, cocoons, and other biological structures, translating them into a modular system of fluid geometries. Each pod features a steel framework wrapped in wood shingles, weathering steel plates, aluminum panels, and glass. This synthesis allows the prefabricated units to appear as if they have grown organically within the landscape.

all images by © Liang Shan, unless stated otherwise

Forest Nests Treepod organic forms are shaped by modular logic

Digital fabrication and parametric modeling enable the realization of the Forest Nests’s complex, curvilinear volumes. Doarchiwow, a newly established spin-off of DO Architects specializing in high-quality prefabricated building systems, avoids the visual rigidity often associated with modular design through organic outlines that let the architecture blend into the surrounding woodland or shoreline, creating the impression of a living organism within nature’s continuum.

A 270-degree floor-to-ceiling window acts as the central visual frame, drawing natural light and sweeping forest or coastal views deep into the interior. The architects conceal all core technical and service systems within the structural shell to preserve the purity of the exterior form. The pods operate as micro-living units equipped with smart home systems and a digital network. 

Doarchiwow’s Forest Nests Treepod Project is a modular ecological dwelling concept

sustainability from eco-friendly to near-zero carbon

Beyond form and experience, the project embodies Doarchiwow’s ambition to move from eco-friendly design toward the more demanding goal of near-zero carbon building. This is achieved through a tripartite strategy combining passive design, active environmental technologies, and microclimate-responsive construction. Lightweight prefabrication minimizes ground disturbance and material waste, while modular assembly reduces on-site labor and energy consumption. Each pod functions as a semi-autonomous environmental system, capable of adapting to various climates and contexts, from dense urban green corridors to sensitive natural reserves.

For Doarchiwow, Forest Nests reflects its broader mission to reshape construction methods and vacation lifestyles alike. Focused on creating immersive environments for boutique resorts, campsites, and rural experiences, the company merges technology, design, and ecological thinking to bring new vitality to the cultural tourism and construction sectors.

a resort prototype and a model for near-zero-carbon, low-impact construction

reimagining the treehouse typology | image by © Wu Wei

a vertical, nature-integrated community adaptable to diverse environments

the architectural language of Forest Nests draws from bird nests, cocoons, and other biological structures

a modular system of fluid geometries | image by © Wu Wei

each pod features a steel framework wrapped in wood shingles

prefabricated units appear as if they have grown organically within the landscape

digital fabrication and parametric modeling enable the realization of curvilinear volumes

a living organism within nature’s continuum

270-degree floor-to-ceiling windows act as central visual frames

 modular assembly reduces on-site labor and energy consumption

each pod functions as a semi-autonomous environmental system

capable of adapting to various climates and contexts

project info:

name: Forest Nests Treepod Project

architect: Doarchiwow

location: Rizhao, Shandong / Wuhan, Hubei, China

gross built area: 441.92 sqm

project director designer: Ding Penghua

architecture team: Tang Jiajia, Wang Wenrui, Jiang Hong

construction: Miao Jianbo, Chen Tong

interior: Dean Ma

engineer: Yao Yifang, Chen Yong, Guo Nanxing, He Xumeng, Sun Cui, Fan Gong

partner: Vale Theme Art (Theming & Scenic Art)

client: Senbo Tourism

photographers: Liang Shan, Wu Wei

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Anchored along the coastline of Yantai’s Yangma Island in China, Seaside Mobile Library is a prefabricated timber structure designed to circulate between fishing villages, providing access to books, performances, and community activities. Developed by Studio WE (Yutao Chen and Yiwen Gu), the project draws from the island’s shipbuilding tradition to explore mobility as a mode of cultural and spatial connection.

The structure comprises three modular units that can be reconfigured to serve multiple functions, including a library, an open-air stage, or a seaside pavilion. Each module is constructed using locally sourced timber and prefabricated joinery, balancing structural stability with ease of assembly, disassembly, and transport. Mounted on a mobile base, the modules can be towed along the coastal road, activating various public sites and extending cultural infrastructure to remote areas.

Seaside Mobile Library anchors along Yantai’s Yangma Island coastline | all images courtesy of Studio WE

Seaside Mobile Library comprises three reconfigurable modules

Large openings within the design frame views of the sea and facilitate natural ventilation, while outdoor terraces extend the use of space for reading and gathering. The timber’s natural tone and texture integrate the structure into the coastal landscape, allowing it to blend with its surroundings while accommodating seasonal and community needs.

Beyond its function as a library, the project by Studio WE serves as a flexible cultural platform, hosting small-scale performances, reading sessions, and educational programs. It demonstrates an architectural approach centered on lightweight construction, adaptability, and contextual engagement, proposing a model of ‘moving public architecture’ where culture and community interaction can travel along the coastline.

the mobile structure brings books and cultural events to fishing villages

inspired by Yantai’s shipbuilding heritage, the design echoes maritime craftsmanship

the timber framework blends naturally with the beach environment

large circular openings frame views of the sea and invite natural ventilation

the library functions as both cultural space and community gathering point

three modular timber units form the core of the design

each unit can be rearranged to create a library, stage, or pavilion

prefabricated timber construction ensures structural stability and easy assembly

project info:

name: Seaside Mobile Library

architect: Studio WE

designers: Yutao Chen | @yutaoch, Yiwen Gu

location: Yantai, China

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Merryda Wiki World – Secret Camp is a forest retreat developed by United Investment Merryda Hotel Management Group in collaboration with Wiki World, located on Cihui Street in Dongxihu District, Wuhan. Set within a metasequoia forest frequented by migratory birds, the project features over a dozen treehouses positioned carefully among the trees. Designed as part of Wiki World’s Wiki Building School initiative, the project explores new forms of habitation that engage directly with the natural environment.

Inspired by local birds, seeds, and natural forms, the design seeks to integrate the treehouses into their surroundings. Each structure, named Time Machine, Nomadic Land, Playground, Daydreamer, Red Windmill, and Unicorn, interprets elements of the forest ecosystem through form and material. All existing trees were preserved, and the cabins are built on fully elevated prefabricated timber structures to minimize site disturbance. The ground remains unpaved, maintaining the forest’s natural ecology. The project includes participatory features such as Letters from Birds and the Evolution of Birds exhibition, encouraging visitors to engage with the forest environment and learn about local species. A small birdhouse-making activity further connects users to the theme of coexistence between humans and wildlife.

all images by Arch-Exist

Wiki World’s cabin Cluster Blends Art, Architecture, and Ecology

Each treehouse presents a unique spatial and conceptual response to the forest context. Nomadic Land translates the idea of temporary settlement into a compact, self-contained dwelling. Time Machine, finished in reflective silver, introduces a futuristic contrast to the natural setting. Playground recalls childhood imagination through playful circulation and interaction with the trees. Daydream uses mirrored metal cladding to reflect the forest, blending the structure into its surroundings. Red Windmill employs a vibrant red palette, standing out as a visual marker within the canopy. Unicorn features a vertical loft form, clad in silver panels that reference mythical symbolism. Together, these structures form a network of elevated dwellings that reinterpret the idea of living among trees through material and spatial experimentation.

The retreat, conceived by Hubei-based firm Wiki World, functions as both an accommodation site and an open forest art gallery. Temporary installations, exhibitions, and workshops are hosted throughout the year, emphasizing collaborative creation and environmental awareness. The Forest Reception serves as a hub for creative projects and eco-friendly design experiments, including the production of bird-inspired objects and natural material studies. The project also hosts the Wiki Building School Sino-French Construction Festival, which invites participants to explore sustainable construction and the concept of small-scale living in natural environments.

Prefabricated Timber Cabins Embrace Minimal, Low-Impact Living

In line with Wiki World’s philosophy of ‘Build Small, Dream Big,’ the design promotes a minimalist approach to habitation. Each cabin focuses on the relationship between human behavior and the surrounding environment, redefining comfort through proximity to nature. By minimizing scale, the architecture encourages sensory engagement.

All structures employ glued laminated timber systems, digitally modeled for precision and fully prefabricated for on-site assembly. The 2-meter-wide home concept reflects a flexible, modular approach to domestic space, allowing variation without compromising efficiency. Facades are clad in hand-fired carbonized wood panels, providing durability and a natural finish. Each cabin is elevated, avoiding ground contact and artificial landscaping. The modular timber components are connected through small metal joints, enabling disassembly and reuse. This approach ensures minimal impact on the existing forest ecosystem and supports Wiki World’s commitment to sustainable, low-impact building practices.

project info:

name: Merryda Wiki World-Secret Camp

architect: Wiki World
design team: Mu Wei, Feng Zhaoxian, Wu Baorong, He Wen, Xu Xiaodong, Liao Xiaotian, Wang Yuanying, Chen Liang

location: Wuhan, China

photographer: Arch-Exist | @archexist

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Following last year‘s unveiling, Nokken and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) being the rollout of the Softshell, a 387-square-foot cabin designed for adaptable environments. To suit the spirit of glamping (more than camping but less than a hotel stay), the project combines prefabricated design and the transportability of a typical tent.

The Softshell is constructed from a timber frame clad in canvas panels, its sharply pitched form recalling a familiar A-frame cabin. The canvas outer is made from a cotton-polyester blend, and comes in khaki, dark green, or navy colorways. Inside, the modular, hybrid structure offers a kitchenette, bathroom, window, and sitting area, while the verticality of the frame makes space for a hammock-like sleeping loft suspended in netting.

images courtesy Nokken

modular design for easy assembly anywhere

According to Nokken cofounder Nathan Aylott, the Softshell cabin project with BIG responds to the dominance of yurts and bell tents in the glamping sector. ‘Over the last fifteen or twenty years, the marketplace has been dominated by bell tents or yurts. They’ve almost become the default option if you’re setting up a glamping site,’ Aylott explains. With this Softshell option, BIG and Nokken introduce a format that is immediately recognizable as a cabin but lighter in footprint than typical prefabricated structures.

Each unit ships in four crates, allowing operators to install the cabin without extensive construction infrastructure. Assembly is designed to be straightforward: two people can raise the frame in a few hours by joining precut timber ends and slotting them into metal bolts. Such a modular strategy means that the Softshell is possible to assemble in sites where conventional building is prohibitively difficult.

Nokken and BIG roll out the Softshell cabin

softshell: a collaboration born from prototypes

The Softshell cabin-tent, created with Nokken, builds on BIG’s earlier experiments in small-scale hospitality architecture. In 2017, the firm developed the Klein Cabin, a 183-square-foot prototype with a sharply angled roofline. While that project never entered full production, its silhouette informed the Softshell’s profile. Meanwhile, Nokken has built a reputation for its compact prefabricated cabins, and has adapted the design to prioritize flexibility and customization.

‘The Softshell is a blank slate inside,’ says Aylott. ‘We made it non-brand specific because we’re a hardware company. We make items for operators, hotels, and land owners to adopt and pivot to match their own brand. That allows for interpretation through landscape, finishes, and interior choices.’

The base is priced at $22,500, with pre-orders now available through Nokken’s website, and delivery worldwide. Operators can expand the cabin’s functionality with optional add-ons, including acoustic insulation, kitchen modules, and deck extensions. Future upgrades under development include thermal insulation for colder climates, a woodburning stove, and a loft extension with an en suite bathroom.

the pitched roof creates height for a sleeping loft made of netting

the interior includes a kitchenette, bathroom, and sitting area

canvas panels wrap around a timber frame with an angular profile

optional add-ons include insulation, kitchen modules, and a deck extension

name: Softshell

architect: Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) | @big_builds x Nokken | @the__nokken

partner (BIG): Finn Nørkjær

creative director (Nokken): Nathan Aylott

co-founder (Nokken): James Van Tromp

previous coverage: December 2024

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On the Dutch island of Terschelling, Team V Architecture has completed Simmerhûs, a prefabricated holiday home that maintains a custom, site-specific character. Despite being constructed from a standardized, off-site timber-frame, which was transported on just three lorries and assembled on-site within three days, the house uses its playfully asymmetrical roof to blend prefabrication and sustainable construction with a home that is intimately connected to its surroundings. Eight solar panels, colour-matched to the ceramic roof tiles, are discreetly integrated into the roof, giving the house an A++ energy label.

‘Nothing is standard in this home,’ says Do Janne Vermeulen, co-founder and director of Team V Architecture.

Team V Architecture completes Simmerhûs on the Dutch island of Terschelling | all images ©Ossip van Duivenbode

ASYMMETRIC ROOF FOR PLAYFUL EFFECT

The compact 75m² holiday home by Team V Architecture Studio is defined by its subtle, yet striking asymmetry, leading to a highly efficient structure. The roof, made of large, flat, rust-colored ceramic tiles, each hand-glazed by Royal Tichelaar, is unexpectedly rotated by five degrees in relation to the floor plan. This playful effect continues throughout the interior, which balances functionality with a serene, minimalist Japanese aesthetic. Finished with wild pine veneer and ash, the interior design by Kranen/Gille offers varied sightlines and creative perspectives of the home.

the compact 75m² home is constructed from prefabricated timber frames

PREFABRICATED TIMBER CONSTRUCTION WITH HIGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Built by contractor Vreeker B.V., the home combines timber construction with full insulation, triple-glazed windows, solar panels with power storage, a heat pump, and a rainwater system that supplies purified water to both house and garden. On the church-facing side, the gutter line runs parallel to the ridge, creating a varying overhang, while on the opposite side it diverges, producing a sloping roof edge.

Commissioned by Dutch cultural entrepreneur Anne van der Zwaag, the home is furnished with art and design from her own collection and serves as a unique getaway available for vacation rentals. Located in a culturally and historically sensitive area, Simmerhûs respects its surroundings through its modest size, closed street-facing façade, and natural tones. From design to construction, the local community was actively involved, transforming the house into a living part of Terschelling’s social and ecological landscape. The community continues to care for the home and its garden, reinforcing its role as a shared, sustainable, and site-specific asset.

Kranen/Gille designed the custom interior, blending clean lines and minimalist Japanese influences

the home is furnished with art and design from the owners collection

walls and furniture is finished with wild pine veneer and ash

the interior is custom-built by Vreeker B.V.

eight solar panels, colour-matched to the ceramic roof tiles

the roof itself is made of large, flat, rust-coloured ceramic tiles, each hand-glazed by Royal Tichelaar

its Douglas fir cladding, charred and brushed using the ancient Shou Sugi Ban technique by Zwarthout

the roof tiles, which subtly shift color with changing light, reflecting the church’s grey tones

Simmerhûs reinterprets local barn typologies with dark wood and brown-red gabled roofs

project info:

name: Simmerhûs Island Home
designer: Team V Architecture | @team.v.architecture

interior designer: Kranen/Gille | @kranengille
commissioner: Anne van der Zwaag
contractor: Vreeker B.V.
roof tiles: Royal Tichelaar
location: Terschelling, Netherlands

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lisa kostyra | designboom

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