There’s no replacement for hands-on experience – which is why architecture students at the University of British Columbia designed and built this off-grid cabin entirely from scratch. Located in the heart of a coastal rainforest on Gambier Island, SALAmander is a timber retreat sheltered beneath a leafy green canopy. The private sanctuary is only accessible by foot, but the stunning surroundings are worth the trek.

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University of British Columbia students in the School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture (SALA) work in teams to design and build unique projects—from an archery range and amphitheater to off-grid cabins—as part of the school’s ARCH 544 course. Alyssa Brosch, Jérémie Dussault-Lefebvre, Sébastien Roy, Christopher Torres, and Kelsey Whitten collaborated on SALAmander at Camp Fircom, a site selected for its remote location and beautiful scenery. The cabin is elevated on stilts to minimize site impact.

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The cabin features a wraparound cedar deck partly shaded by the extended roof. The timber interior includes two open-air bunks, storage, and an above loft area, and is intended for occupation in the summer months. There is no attached outhouse. “Surrounded by a cathedral of trees the cabin is placed in a small clearing on a gentle slope, floating above the ground much as to respect and leave the landscape pristine,” wrote the designers. The camp-like effect is strengthened with the addition of an outdoor fire pit on the south side.

+ SALA Design/Build

Salamander by University of British Columbia, University of British Columbia SALA, SALA design build, UBC design build, Gambier Island cabins, Gambier Island architecture, design build student architecture projects, Camp Fircom architecture,

Salamander by University of British Columbia, University of British Columbia SALA, SALA design build, UBC design build, Gambier Island cabins, Gambier Island architecture, design build student architecture projects, Camp Fircom architecture,

Salamander by University of British Columbia, University of British Columbia SALA, SALA design build, UBC design build, Gambier Island cabins, Gambier Island architecture, design build student architecture projects, Camp Fircom architecture,