Nokken is a modular cabin system designed specifically with the hospitality industry in mind, offering flexibility and scalability for retreat-based venues.

Key features

London-based interior design and branding studio Aylott + Van Tromp’s Nokken modular cabin system makes retreat-based hospitality more accessible. The cabin is based on 15 pre-designed base footprints which can be adapted to a variety of needs beyond guest rooms like spa, fitness centre, or retail space. The cabins are available in a variety of sizes and units can even be stacked or stitched together to form larger spaces and accommodate a restaurant. The Nokken Standard Edition is finished with dark-stained soft wood exterior panelling and natural soft wood interior ceilings and floors. But the cabins can also be tailored with custom finishes and materials taking terrain, climate and on- or off-grid positioning into account.  

Nokken units are fully designed and manufactured in Europe and enable adaptability and scalability for hospitality offerings. Because of the made-to-order pre-fabricated units, the lead time of hospitality projects are reduced by 25-50 per cent. Starting around €50,000, the semi-custom units are built to completion and installed on a minimal foundation providing minimal disturbance to natural surroundings. Thermal performance suits Nokken units to either cool or warm climates. To further blend the units into their natural surroundings, there are options for grow walls or living roof.  

Frame’s take

As COVID restrictions have become a distant memory in many places around the and international travel has picked back up, there was a (logical) expectation that many of the pandemic-era design trends, like staycations, would fade as well. However, the retreat hospitality sector is actually set to grow 17.5 per cent over the next five years. We reported earlier on the post-pandemic evolution of cabin hotels, a trend also made evident by the modular nature of Aylott + Van Tromp’s Nokken units. In order to stay relevant, such hospitality offerings must go beyond the market position of convenience that they occupied during the pandemic. Flexibility and the increasing ability to offer just as much – if not more ­– to guests because of its proximity to nature, Nokken represents the solidification of the cabin hotel’s place in the hospitality sector.