When Canadian architect Omar Gandhi set out to design a forest retreat in the Gaspereau River Valley, a popular four-season destination for skiing, hiking, cycling, and wine tourism in Nova Scotia, his aim was to create “a meditative escape” for family, friends, and colleagues to disconnect, unwind, and re-center following the pandemic. Located on a steep rocky incline high above the valley and reached via a meandering driveway through the forest, the property could not have been more suitable for such aspirations. Working through his eponymous practice, Omar Gandhi Architects, Gandhi eschewed the common A-frame, timber-built typology, designing instead a Corten steel-clad cubic volume perched on four slender columns. The cabin’s stark, ascetic design imbues the property with an aura of mystery and introspection, while its textured, brown-orange exterior harmoniously blends with the forest setting. The result is a “serene woodland retreat” of architectural sophistication that fosters a deeper connection with nature and loved ones.

Inspired by traditional hunting cabins and duck blinds, the cabin takes the form of a large box on four stilts, with a smaller entry volume underneath anchoring the structure to the site. Boldly contemporary in design, the building nevertheless subtly evokes the essence of log cabins thanks to the horizontal striations of the corrugated Corten steel cladding. The cubic volume is punctuated by large windows offering commanding views of the valley, the widest of which is accentuated by a metallic canopy in weathered steel that provides solar shading.