GRAPHĒ: This Remote Shou Sugi Ban Cabin Gets You Up Close to Iceland’s Volcanoes and Hot Springs

Studio Heima’s Aska Cabin offers a minimalist retreat surrounded by geothermal wonders near the northern shore of Lake Mývatn in Iceland.

Depending on the time of year, Aska can serve as an idyllic setting to enjoy the Northern Lights.

If you’ve ever dreamed of escaping to a secluded corner of Iceland, the Aska Cabin may be of interest. Designed by architects Casper Berntsen and Aldís Gísladóttir of Studio Heima, the wood-clad structure is perched along the active geothermal pocket of Mývatn—a volcanic lake in northern Iceland.

According to Studio Heima—the Danish-Icelandic firm behind the project—thoughts of volcanoes with ash and lava "lying like a blanket in the landscape — According to Studio Heima, the Danish-Icelandic firm behind the project, the cabin’s name was inspired by the idea of volcano ash and lava "lying like a blanket over the landscape."

Photo by Auðunn Nielsson & Trym Sannes, courtesy of Studio Heima

"The cabin presents a landscape with surrounding lava formations, volcanoes, and hot springs," notes the Danish-Icelandic firm. The Aska Cabin—which derives its name from the Icelandic word for "ash"—is located on the site of a 300-year-old lava field in the Hlíð Ferðaþjónusta campground complex.

The inside of the cabin is covered entirely with light plywood, offering a stark contrast to the dark cladding of the exterior. — The cabin’s light plywood interior offers a stark contrast to the dark cladding of the exterior.

Photo by Auðunn Nielsson & Trym Sannes, courtesy of Studio Heima

To protect the 226-square-foot structure from extreme weather, the firm relied on charred-pine cladding made using the ancient Japanese method of shou sugi ban. "With this technique, we were able to create a sustainable and robust facade from entirely natural materials," the architects explain.