Rhode Island studio 3six0 has created a geometric wooden cabin "cut like a gemologist shaping a stone" to serve as a retreat for an artist from Providence (+ slideshow).

The sole purpose of Cottage in Woods is to serve as a getaway retreat, so its dimensions were kept compact. The shelter encompasses only 530 square feet (49.25 square metres).

The structure's massing originated as a cube measuring 25 feet (7.5 metres) on each edge.

"The design challenge of this project is tight," said 3six0 Architecture. "The exterior of the cottage is a cubic volume cut like a gemologist shaping a stone."

The outside structure features geometric angles, which are intended to "shed water, carve in to a protected entry or form a venting chimney", they added.

Alaska yellow cedar clads the cabin's exterior. The wooden shingles were chosen for their ageing qualities, and were left untreated.

The interior space is a single open room that contains all functions, though the sleeping nook and restroom are enclosed.

Painted pine boards were used for the walls and ceilings, and complement the exterior shingles.

On the north wall, the architects installed a sleeping niche, which is just wide enough for a queen-sized mattress. The architects included storage drawers underneath the slightly raised bed.

"A pyramidal shaft connects the sleeping nook towards a skylight above, making it an observatory at night and a light filled chamber during the day," said 3six0.

The south wall is made up of glazed sliding doors, and opens out onto a landscaped garden. "A stepping-stone sequence of Alaska yellow cedar decks and placed boulders create a series of outdoor living spaces that extend the cottage outwards," they added.

A wood-burning stove located on the cabin's western edge heats it during the winter. On the opposite side is a utility room, which is used to store the resident's gardening tools.

Small artist retreats are a popular way for creatives to escape their daily routine. Brooklyn has many such cabins built in the borough's spacious back yards, and Boston startup Getaway has started leasing out similar cabins on a nightly basis.

Photography is by Nat Rea.