bjarke ingels group & nokken take on camping design

 

Following last year‘s unveiling, Nokken and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) being the rollout of the Softshell, a 387-square-foot cabin designed for adaptable environments. To suit the spirit of glamping (more than camping but less than a hotel stay), the project combines prefabricated design and the transportability of a typical tent.

 

The Softshell is constructed from a timber frame clad in canvas panels, its sharply pitched form recalling a familiar A-frame cabin. The canvas outer is made from a cotton-polyester blend, and comes in khaki, dark green, or navy colorways. Inside, the modular, hybrid structure offers a kitchenette, bathroom, window, and sitting area, while the verticality of the frame makes space for a hammock-like sleeping loft suspended in netting.

big nokken softshell cabin
images courtesy Nokken

 

 

modular design for easy assembly anywhere

 

According to Nokken cofounder Nathan Aylott, the Softshell cabin project with BIG responds to the dominance of yurts and bell tents in the glamping sector. ‘Over the last fifteen or twenty years, the marketplace has been dominated by bell tents or yurts. They’ve almost become the default option if you’re setting up a glamping site,’ Aylott explains. With this Softshell option, BIG and Nokken introduce a format that is immediately recognizable as a cabin but lighter in footprint than typical prefabricated structures.

 

Each unit ships in four crates, allowing operators to install the cabin without extensive construction infrastructure. Assembly is designed to be straightforward: two people can raise the frame in a few hours by joining precut timber ends and slotting them into metal bolts. Such a modular strategy means that the Softshell is possible to assemble in sites where conventional building is prohibitively difficult.

big nokken softshell cabin
Nokken and BIG roll out the Softshell cabin

 

 

softshell: a collaboration born from prototypes

 

The Softshell cabin-tent, created with Nokken, builds on BIG’s earlier experiments in small-scale hospitality architecture. In 2017, the firm developed the Klein Cabin, a 183-square-foot prototype with a sharply angled roofline. While that project never entered full production, its silhouette informed the Softshell’s profile. Meanwhile, Nokken has built a reputation for its compact prefabricated cabins, and has adapted the design to prioritize flexibility and customization.

 

‘The Softshell is a blank slate inside,’ says Aylott. ‘We made it non-brand specific because we’re a hardware company. We make items for operators, hotels, and land owners to adopt and pivot to match their own brand. That allows for interpretation through landscape, finishes, and interior choices.’

 

The base is priced at $22,500, with pre-orders now available through Nokken’s website, and delivery worldwide. Operators can expand the cabin’s functionality with optional add-ons, including acoustic insulation, kitchen modules, and deck extensions. Future upgrades under development include thermal insulation for colder climates, a woodburning stove, and a loft extension with an en suite bathroom.

big nokken softshell cabin
the pitched roof creates height for a sleeping loft made of netting

go glamping with BIG: 'softshell' cabins designed with nokken begin roll-out
the interior includes a kitchenette, bathroom, and sitting area

go glamping with BIG: 'softshell' cabins designed with nokken begin roll-out
canvas panels wrap around a timber frame with an angular profile