'The Brook' exemplifies good design ⏎

I’ve got a soft spot for small cabins, both because they are built with a certain lifestyle in mind and often with a deeply honest aesthetic; both of which greatly appeal to me. This one built by ‘Small’ in Victoria, Australia stands above many that I’ve seen.

Their honesty is largely attributable to their materials, which are natural and exposed for all to see. Plumbing is made a feature and the very structure of the building is visible. How it was put together is evident and you could have a pretty good stab at reverse engineering one just from photos.

Some of the design decisions are intentional, some are happy accidents.

“We ran short of ironbark for the entire floor, but chose to use the offcuts to complete it. The floor dissolves into smaller and smaller pieces as it approaches the windows, and I love the playfulness of that moment – like a child writing their name too large on a piece of paper and then squashing the letters at the end to fit.”