Cabins in the Archipelago

/ On a tiny rocky islet in Finland Aleksi Hautamäki and Milla Selkimäki have designed for themselves a refuge of solid pine planks split into two distinct volumes that is minimalist but comfortable. A reworking of a local type of building

ON ONE OF THE TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS THAT MAKE UP THE FINNISH ARCHIPELAGO, the pair of designers Aleksi Hautamäki and Milla Selkimäki (the former founder of Bond Creativity Agency, the latter a graphic designer), have built this cabin on a small patch of wilderness. “With the work of communication carried out through our Project Ö website and social media we have been able to fund the construction of this classic but also innovative Finnish cabin, consisting of a main space, a sauna and a workshop,” they explain. There are two separate buildings and they pay tribute to the tradition of construction in the archipelago with its typical wooden walls and elongated eaves.

The long and narrow shape of the two cabins makes it possible to have large expanses of glass facing onto the surroundings, and to locate different functions at opposite ends. “We can have sundowner drinks at one end while the kids are sleeping in the other,” say the designers.

THE TWO FLAT VOLUMES EXTEND OVER THE ROCK, RESTING ON AN ELABORATE WOODEN DECK

The main cabin has 45 square metres of floor space, while the one that houses the carpentry shop has 25. They have been erected on the northeast corner of the island, close to the jetty, in a position sheltered from the strong southern winds. In order not to have an impact on the surrounding nature the two volumes have been built on rock and are set on wooden decking that forms a platform around them. The interiors of this refuge are also a perfect combination of functionality and aesthetics: the main cabin houses the living room, kitchen and bedroom on one side, the sauna, laundry and bathroom on the other. Between the two blocks there is a covered space of passage, for use in fine weather, equipped with an outdoor kitchen and dining table. The second cabin on the other hand contains the carpentry shop and a small boathouse. Here too the two spaces are separated by a covered passageway, where work tables can be set out. “The structural walls and floors are made of solid pine,” explain the couple. “We have used 10 kilometres of planking in all. The roof, however, is covered with the water-repellent felt that is normally used as insulation, which creates here a matt and uniform surface. On the inside the ceilings are lined with panels that insulate from the cold.”

Great attention has been paid to aspects of plumbing and wiring – the supply of drinking water, power etcetera – which on an uninhabited island had to be designed “from scratch”. From this point of view the refuge is totally selfsufficient and sustainable: photovoltaic panels permit the production and storage of electricity and an electric pump draws water from the Baltic Sea for desalination and distribution. ○

La cucina allestita nello spazio aperto della capanna principale. Pagina accanto, il laboratorio di falegnameria e il living. The kitchen set up in the open space of the main hut. Opposite page, the carpentry workshop and the living area.

Gli interni delle due capanne sono rivestiti di assi di legno di pino. Nella cucina, il tavolo è stato disegnato dagli stessi progettisti. Nella pagina accanto, i due edifici: a sinistra il laboratorio di falegnameria, a destra l’abitazione. L’illuminazione è di iGuzzini. The interiors of the two huts are clad in pinewood. The kitchen table was designed by the architects themselves. Opposite page, the two buildings: on the left the carpentry workshop, on the right the home. The lighting is by iGuzzini.