Designer Caspar Schols puts a fresh spin on the classic wooden cabin with his recently-completed Anna Stay. Though it looks like a normal cabin at first glance, the unusual dwelling's walls can be slid apart to open it up to the outside, allowing its owners to embrace a semi-outdoor lifestyle.
The idea for Anna Stay was originally conceived when Schols designed a similar garden shed for his mother a few years ago. It proved a big hit and he received media attention worldwide, so in the time since, he has studied architecture formally and worked to create a version that could be sold.
The cabin has four configurations: the first functions as a simple closed cabin, the second is to manually slide its walls apart to open its center up to the elements completely, while the third is the same, but with a glass roof and walls offering protection from the elements. The fourth, meanwhile, is to have glazed enclosures bookending the cabin on either side – it all sounds pretty complicated written down but makes more sense if you check out the photos in the gallery. The exterior is clad in Larch fir, while the interior is finished in Douglas fir and Birch ply and, according to the designer, the overall structure is inspired by railway buildings and how their walls provide structural stability.
"The walls lock in position with a large latch that is pushed down by a spring system," a company representative explained to us when asked how the walls are secured. "That, in combination with 'brake pads' mounted on the rails will make sure the sliding elements are always secured. The walls also contain an 'anchor system' of steel hooks that grip under the platform in case of strong winds."
The interior of the cabin is mostly arranged on the ground floor, with a living area, bed, kitchenette and dining space, plus a bathroom with shower all downstairs. However, a removable ladder also provides access to a secondary mezzanine bedroom with a typical tiny house-style low ceiling. The dwelling is warmed by a wood-burning stove, though a central heating system can optionally be installed.
For those who like the basic idea of the cabin but would prefer to use it as a home office, Schols has also designed an Anna Meet version that functions as a workplace (with a slightly different structure that comprises four sliding wall sections instead of the Anna Stay's two) and Anna Me, for custom designs. Additionally, other options include full off-the-grid functionality.
Anna Stay is up for sale now. It'll set you back €87,000 (roughly US$100,000), including furniture but excluding any taxes and building costs, and is available worldwide. It's delivered in one piece or as a flat pack kit that takes roughly five days to assemble, according to the designer.
Source: Anna Stay
