The Little House on the Ferry, a project by Maine-based design-build firm GO Logic, is a collection of three modest-sized, black-spruce cabins connected by a system of cantilevered wooden decks. Located on Vinalhaven, a remote island in Maine's Penobscot Bay, the seasonal guesthouse was completed around 2016 for owners who spend their summers on the island. The design is a response to the site's challenging terrain—a former granite quarry with a fragile layer of soil and dramatic rocky outcroppings. Rather than attempting to place a single, bulky structure on the landscape, the architects divided the program into three small "micro-cabins," allowing each building to engage with the topography and frame specific views of the coast and quarry. To minimize the environmental impact on the delicate site, the structures were built using prefabricated, Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels. These panels, made of black spruce, were milled and precisely cut off-site in Quebec, then shipped by truck and ferry to the island for a quick and efficient assembly. The use of CLT also provided a durable, airtight, and highly insulated building shell, which is essential for the region's harsh seasons. Set on piers, the three structures appear to hover over the landscape, further reducing their footprint. The cabins are composed of a larger 416-square-foot structure for the communal living, dining, and kitchen areas, and two smaller 216-square-foot cabins, each containing a private bedroom and bathroom. The minimalist and clean interiors feature the warm texture of the exposed CLT panels and are painted white to emphasize the striking views of the outdoors. Sliding wooden shutters on the windows allow for solar control while maintaining the cabins' simple aesthetic. Outside, the structures are clad in locally sourced eastern white cedar slats that are designed to weather to a silver-gray, helping the buildings blend into the landscape. The connected terraced cedar decks serve as a unifying element and an ideal spot for taking in the surrounding scenery. Credits Architecture: GO Logic Design Team: Riley Pratt General Contractor: GO Logic Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam Associates CLT panels: Nordic Structures Engineering: Bensonwood Photography: Trent Bell Location: Vinalhaven, Maine