Monolithic shape for a wooden cabin. Searching for elegance in simplicity

On the Exe River near Topsham, a town in Devon, a UK county on the Cornwall peninsula, architecture studio Out of the Valley renovates a Dutch-style merchant's house for a couple eager to spend their retirement there

The cabin is elegant in its simplicity, with its monolithic shape reminiscent of traditional beach huts. The home's charred cedar exterior is a reference to the black, bituminous hulls of boats swaying nearby

The interior entices visitors to a variety of sensory experiences. The granite hearth provides an intriguing texture, while the English oak walls convey a feeling of warmth, releasing a woody scent into the air. From the living space, cornerless doors open, dissolving the boundary between the inside and outside, while framing the expansive views to the east and west