Camping Turned Into Glamping After a Family Built Twin Tiny Cabins in the Woods

Peter Braithwaite met his clients while they were both walking their dogs in Fairfax, Nova Scotia. "We got to talking," Braithwaite says, and coincidentally, the design-build architect already knew of their parcel, a rustic 15-acre plot with coastal views and craggy footpaths. There’s a boreal forest with a barren running between it, he explains. He takes walks here all the time.

Greg Knapp and Robyn Traynor were already familiar with the architect’s work when they met, and had connected with his ethos. "We build more respectfully, not so heavy-handed and domineering on the natural landscape," explains Braithwaite.

Before their chance meeting, Greg and Robyn, who had one child at the time—they now have two—would retreat to the plot to camp. They’d "use the land, walk around, and enjoy nature," Braithwaite says. Initially, the couple envisioned a boat garage-slash-camping structure. But then "it evolved into a raised design to minimize impact on the land," says Braithwaite. The ground has "scars from previous ATV tracks," adds Greg, "so we knew that any significant traditional build would irreversibly alter the landscape."