Founded in 2021 by schoolmates Christopher Eilers, Johann Ahlers, and Julian Trautwein, Raus seeks to entice city dwellers to venture into nature by offering stays at secluded cabins—but there’s a twist. Each escape is located one to two hours away from a city center, and its location is only revealed after a stay is booked.
Recently, the Berlin-based company collaborated with Danish architect Sigurd Larsen to create a compact cabin clad in charred timber. "The exterior is burned and oiled lark wood that blends with the dark tree trunks of the forested natural surround," Larsen says. "The texture of the wood feels like bark."
Danish architect Sigurd Larsen teamed up with Raus to create a 193-square-foot cabin clad in charred timber.
The cabin is currently situated on the grounds of Wehrmühle Biesenthal, a cultural venue located about an hour north of Berlin.
Raus debuted the Larsen-designed cabin at the historic Wehrmühle Biesenthal estate, where it’s been sited for six months. The grounds feature meadows, fields, a small river, and a forest of towering trees—and the 193-square-foot cabin feels as if it’s woven into the landscape. All of Raus’s rentals are self-sufficient, and this one is equipped with a wood-burning stove, a composting toilet, a water tank, and solar panels.
The cabin has an understated, all-black interior that focuses views on the natural surroundings.
The compact cabin can accommodate three adults, or two adults and two children.
Larsen planned the rooms so that they’re aligned with—and take advantage of—the course of the sun. In the morning, the east-facing kitchen fills with sunshine. Strong midday light hits the rear facade, which provides shade for the staircase at the entrance, where visitors can lounge outdoors and take in the landscape. A small terrace to the west, just off the primary bedroom, provides a place to sit and watch the sunset—or guests can view the spectacle through windows placed near the built-in queen-size bed.
In the kitchen, large windows frame views of the nearby forest and meadows.
There’s also a built-in bunk bed that doubles as a sofa for the living area/bedroom. The bed frame, the flooring, the walls, the ceiling, and all of the cabinets are made from dark-stained wood that appears black. "This minimizes reflections and lets the views of the surrounding nature become the main feature of each room," Larsen says.
A built-in bunk bed in the living area doubles as a sofa.
"We wanted to make the small space appear large, so we packed the program on one side and left the other with a full ceiling height, big windows, and sliding doors that open to the nature," Larsen says.
A skylight in the shower provides the feeling of bathing outdoors.
Guests can book the cabin for $183 per night for a minimum of three nights. And if visitors don’t have time to cook (because they’re soaking in nature), they can opt to have their meals prepared by Jessica-Joyce Sidon and Cäcilia Baldszus of Catering Baldon.
Architect and designer Sigurd Larsen sits on the built-in bunk bed in the living area.
When the project was completed, Larsen planned a getaway of his own. "I tested the cabin for a night this spring, and it felt very comfortable despite its smallness," the architect says. "We created a cabin with many nooks and corners to sit and hang out, both inside and outside. You can move from place to place, cooking, reading, napping, and showering, according to the sun. Looking at the views of nature never got boring—it’s an incredibly relaxing place to be."
In the evening, the tiny cabin lights up from within
More projects by Sigurd Larsen:
Take a First Look at Denmark’s Amazing New Tree House Hotel
A Blue House Clad With Corrugated Steel Blends Into the Scandinavian Sky
A Silvery Gabled Home Cantilevers Out Amid the Austrian Alps
Architecture & Design: Sigurd Larsen and Raus / @sigurdlarsen_architecture and @raus.life
Construction: Raus / @raus.life
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