Chicken Point Cabin Idaho / Olson Kundig Architects

The Chicken Point Cabin Idaho idea is that of a lakeside shelter in the woods, a little box with a big window that opens to the surrounding landscape.

Architect:Olson Kundig Architects
Location: Chicken Point, Idaho, USA
Photographs:Benjamin Benschneider

A manual hand-crank opens the 20-by-30-foot window wall. Employing a counterbalance principle through a set of gears, like that of a bicycle, allows a minimal input of force to pivot the six-ton steel-and-glass window. Although the gizmo employs sophisticated mechanical engineering, the result is not unlike the opening of a tent flap, allowing fresh air and unimpeded views to enter the cabin.