Big Sur Cabin II
Inseparable from its surroundings, Big Sur Cabin II by Studio Schicketanz is an act of stewardship, a home built not simply within the forest but designed to actively rejuvenate the land.
Tucked deep within a protected redwood forest in California’s Big Sur, a small collection of cabins has quietly endured for generations. Big Sur Cabin II by Studio Schicketanz joins their number not as a newcomer but as a continuation – scaled to match its neighbours, built of timber tied directly to the land and tasked with improving not just its own footprint but the health of the environment it inhabits.
Commissioned by long-time custodians of the land, the project brings together environmental repair, respectful scale and material memory, with every detail shaped by a layered history and the owners’ deep care for the future of the site. The original cabin had reached the end of its life: untreated sewage seeped towards the creek, the well water was unsuitable and non-native plants had crept across the property. The brief to Studio Schicketanz asked for more than a replacement structure – it required a home that would actively rejuvenate the land, respect the surrounding redwoods and endure the challenges of fire and flood risk.
The design responds with a restrained footprint, configuring the home as three distinct volumes: a great room, bath pavilion and bedroom, each scaled to sit comfortably within the historic context, weave around existing trees and sit among the other cabins. Resting on pier footings and edged with cantilevers, the building touches the ground lightly, preserving root systems and minimising disturbance across the site.
Key environmental works underpin the architecture. A tertiary septic system now protects the creek, invasive plantings have been stripped from the site and replaced with native vegetation and powerlines have been buried to reduce fire risk. The well has been upgraded, securing safe, clean water. Over several years, timber was milled from fallen redwoods on site, personally collected by the owners and set aside for use in the new home – a gesture ensuring that no living trees were felled.
Light, air and accessibility define the interiors. A new ramp ensures ease of access, while hydronic heating, advanced air filtration and generous glazing create an environment that is warm in winter, cool in summer and always alive with views of the forest canopy. Materiality anchors the cabin to both its immediate surrounds and its history. Timbers sourced from the site itself feature prominently, used both visually for effect and concealed within the structure. Inside, the richly grained panels line walls, form cabinetry and link spaces visually to the forest.
Steel structural elements provide strength only where required, while fire-resistant exterior finishes and VOC-free interior materials safeguard both longevity and health. Light and neutral finishes are punctuated with furniture and objects placed to bring depth to the space, all the while focusing views outwards. Housed in an enclosed courtyard, the bath takes centrestage, allowing the towering height of trees overhead to shape the experience.
In Big Sur Cabin II, Studio Schicketanz has crafted a home that continues to carry the story of the land it occupies, while maintaining an understated presence, a quality most visible in the way the cabin settles into its setting. From the salvaged redwood etched with age to the creek running cleaner beside it, the project is inseparable from its setting – an act of stewardship and a home built not simply within the forest but of it.
Architecture and interior design by Studio Schicketanz. Build by Cyrus Morse Construction. Landscape design by Nicole Nedeff.
