Great Park Farm, Catsfield, East Sussex TN33 9DT, England, United Kingdom
About this story
Designed by British architecture practice Built Works for its Architects Holiday hospitality venture, Bather’s Cabin is a retreat for two positioned at the bottom of a steep woodland bank beside a stream at Great Park Farm. The change in ground level allows guests to approach at roof height, moving through a planted bathing terrace before descending into the accommodation. The rooftop incorporates a raised boardwalk, sauna, hot tub, cold plunge or outdoor bath, shower and a karesansui-inspired garden. Mosses, grasses and ferns were reportedly relocated from the cabin’s footprint to make the roof read as a continuation of the woodland floor. The block-like building is wrapped in stepped layers of locally sourced larch treated with black pine tar. Its form references the elevated granaries, grain stores and agricultural drying sheds historically found in southeast England, while the tiered profile softens the structure’s outline among the trees. Internally, a cross-shaped arrangement frames views in four directions and organizes the sleeping, cooking and bathing areas around an open center. Doors are minimized, with handmade curtains providing softer divisions where privacy is required. The material palette includes textured plaster, timber joinery, slow-grown Scottish timber, UK-grown hemp-fibre insulation, hand-cut English-oak woodblock flooring, cedar furniture and bespoke ceramic tiles designed by Built Works with Common Objects Studio. Dezeen reports that some tiles carry botanical impressions and fingerprints, while the curtains were block-printed with a version of the cabin’s floor plan. The cabin is currently available for overnight reservations through Architects Holiday.
Status and timeline
Completed and operating as a bookable holiday cabin. Construction of the timber frame was underway by spring 2025. Bookings launched for stays beginning in May 2026, and an opening gathering was held on June 23, 2026. The exact practical-completion and first-guest dates have not been published.
Design highlights
A bathing ritual determines the sequence and program; the steep bank creates an inverted arrival through the roof; transplanted woodland planting visually extends the forest floor over the cabin; stepped blackened-larch cladding reinterprets southeast England’s granaries and drying sheds; a cross-shaped plan frames cardinal views; curtains replace many conventional doors; and biogenic, local and minimally processed materials are combined with bespoke ceramics, textiles, furniture and flooring.
