Completed in 2013, Ermitage is a small wooden cabin designed by the Paris-based architecture studio SEPTEMBRE. The 20-square-meter structure is situated on the remote island of Trossö, off the west coast of Sweden, and was commissioned by a private client who spends summers there. As there are no roads on the island, all materials for the cabin were transported by boat and carried by hand. The cabin's design is minimalist and functional, created as a secluded retreat with a focus on its natural surroundings. The brief from the client was for "a room with a view of the sea," and the design delivers on this with two large windows framing the distinctive, windswept landscape of the ocean on one side and pine trees on the other. A large sliding glass door effectively doubles the living area when opened, blurring the line between indoors and outdoors. The cabin was constructed with minimal impact on the environment, raised off the ground to sit lightly on the plot. Its exterior features Swedish spruce, painted with a matte black finish, a color choice that references the vernacular architecture of local fishing cabins. The interior has a more natural feel, with Swedish spruce flooring and plywood-clad walls and ceilings. The pitched roof provides a generous internal volume, and the compact space includes a sauna and a living/bedroom area for two people. Credits Architects: SEPTEMBRE Photographs: Alphonse Sarthout