From the dark fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel to the tectonic exemplar of Laugier’s primitive hut, the notion of the isolated dwelling in the forest has a compelling cultural and psychological resonance. Welcoming or sinister, ‘the cabin in the woods’ is a familiar trope that extends back to the origins of architecture and human settlement. Now, however, the once disarming wilderness of the forest is seen as a restorative balm for jaded urbanites keen to reboot and rediscover the natural world. The common Scandinavian practice of keeping a cabin in the woods for weekends and holidays perhaps accounts for the equable Nordic psyche, respectfully at home with nature.