Kimberley Mok is a former architect who has been covering architecture and the arts for Treehugger since 2007.

Katherine Martinko is an expert in sustainable living. She holds a degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has seen many of us reevaluating the rhythm of our daily lives. Some of us have taken up new hobbies like baking or birdwatching, while others have found various ways to work from home efficiently, sometimes with noisy kids underfoot. In this new rebalancing of busy work lives and personal lives, many have found it necessary to either rethink how their homes are designed, in order to accommodate a dedicated home office, or to add a space that is devoted to family activities.

In the south of France, one family commissioned London-based studio daab design to do just that, creating a flexible space that augments their existing farmhouse property with an extra structure that could be used for activities like painting, hosting guests, or family gatherings.

Clad with pinewood planks that have been purposely torch scorched to increase pest resistance, the 376-square-foot (35 square meters) Pine Nut Cabane occupies the family's favorite spot on their rural property. Nestled in a small clearing between a stand of pine trees and a grove of olive trees, this spot is where the family likes to paint and play lawn games like pétanque.

As daab design's co-founder Anaïs Bléhaut explains on Dezeen, the idea was to use the materials to enhance the site in a meaningful way, while paying homage to the local region's farming traditions and building culture:

The simple but gorgeous cabin structure has been oriented so that the windows in one of its corners face east to allow the early morning sun to stream in, while providing views of the landscape toward the valley beyond. To passively cool the cabin, the southern side of it has been oriented toward the stand of pine trees, which then shades the interior naturally.

The entrance is cleverly demarcated in the northeastern corner by a space that slices into the cabin's overall volume, which is overhung by an eave, and limestone paved path that leads to a black door—all markers that signify the entrance. Beyond that, the paved path leads to a wooden deck and firepit for cozy outdoor gatherings. As the firm explains:

There are two rooms inside, both simply furnished with beds and chairs in order to make them more flexible in terms of use, whether that might be for visiting relatives or friendly guests, or for a yoga session.

Large windows permit light to come in and illuminate these otherwise interiors, while a short corridor connects the two rooms.

The cabin's walls are lined with naturally finished plywood panels, with the addition of polished concrete floors, and bits of matte black elements here and there to give the dwelling a modern but warm touch.

A hidden full-height door in matte black can slide out in the corridor to lend more privacy whenever needed.

In the corridor that connects both rooms together, we find intermediary storage space with cabinets and a pod-like bathroom in between. The designers say that this space has been done in a way that emphasizes a sense of retreat and relaxation that is evident in this zone:

Accessory structures of this kind can be useful in their flexibility, serving as much-needed home offices, yoga studios, play rooms, each with its own unique character. The Pine Nut Cabane is yet another example of how it can be done in a rural setting, with simple but striking materials and design details. To see more, visit daab design.

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