冰岛熔岩田上的小木屋“Aska”丨丹麦 冰岛Studio Heima

Shou Sugi Ban

The Traditional Japanese Art of Charred Cedar

Shou Sugi Ban 焼杉板 (or Yakisugi) is an ancient Japanese exterior siding technique that preserves wood by charring it with fire. Traditionally, sugi 杉 (Cryptomeria japonica L.f.), also called Japanese red-cedar, was used. The process involves charring the wood, cooling it, cleaning it, and finishing it with a natural oil.

Today Shou Sugi Ban is an environmentally friendly way to preserve timber and, paradoxically, make it fire-resistant. Chemical preservatives, paints and retardants are therefore unnecessary. In addition to exterior uses, the popular technique is now found in interior rooms, furniture, and artwork.

Shou Sugi Ban 焼杉板 (or Yakisugi) is an ancient Japanese exterior siding technique that preserves wood by charring it with fire. Traditionally, sugi 杉 (Cryptomeria japonica L.f.), also called Japanese red-cedar, was used. The process involves charring the wood, cooling it, cleaning it, and finishing it with a natural oil.

Today Shou Sugi Ban is an environmentally friendly way to preserve timber and, paradoxically, make it fire-resistant. Chemical preservatives, paints and retardants are therefore unnecessary. In addition to exterior uses, the popular technique is now found in interior rooms, furniture, and artwork.

Escape to a Tiny Cabin on an Icelandic Lava Field

The charred timber skin of this sustainable cabin blends it with the craggy 300-year-old lava field surrounding Lake Mývatn in northern Iceland – the first of a new campsite in the scenic area.

Danish-Icelandic practice Studio Heima designed the 21 sq m tiny home, dubbed Aska (or Ash, in English), borrowing from Japanese and Nordic design elements. Light pine plywood lines the cabin’s interiors to contrast the burnt pine cladding, charred using the Japanese technique shou sugi ban to protect it from the harsh elements and add to its longevity.

The interior is maximized via tall ceilings and bespoke furniture, including a double bedroom, bath and open plan kitchen with large picture windows looking on the Hverfjall Volcano and Lake Mývatn. Meanwhile, the roof is planted with indigenous vegetations to insulate the hut.

Further structures will be built at the campsite in future months. In the meantime, the cabin is accessible year-round and is available to book via Airbnb.

Shou Sugi Ban 焼杉板 (or Yakisugi) is an ancient Japanese exterior siding technique that preserves wood by charring it with fire. Traditionally, sugi 杉 (Cryptomeria japonica L.f.), also called Japanese red-cedar, was used. The process involves charring the wood, cooling it, cleaning it, and finishing it with a natural oil.

Today Shou Sugi Ban is an environmentally friendly way to preserve timber through charring which, paradoxically, makes it fire-resistant. Chemical preservatives, paints and retardants are therefore unnecessary. In addition to exterior uses, the popular technique is now found in interior rooms, furniture, and artwork.