Designed for a family’s leisure and weekend stays, and adaptable for hosting larger gatherings, the structure is conceived as a flexible open-plan space. The first third of the plan accommodates the service functions — kitchen, bathroom and utility room — while the remaining area unfolds into a dining space with direct river access and a lounge area that can be reconfigured for sleeping.

Set in a small town with a century-old shipbuilding history, with Sava Shipyard being one of the most renowned in former Yugoslavia, the project draws inspiration from the Corbusian modernist relationship between architecture and nautical design. Interplaying with the cabin archetype, the nautical functionality of clean-lined, sunlit, open-plan interiors deliberately reinforces the idea of ‘simple living’, crafting the space as an instrument of escapism.

The architecture of the cabin is fundamentally shaped by its relationship to the water. As one enters the space, the single-pitch roof, angled against the coastline, allows the interior volume to expand vertically, revealing the space in its full, airy lightness. In every direction, views of the river and shoreline are carefully curated — whether the scenic perspective of the landmark pedestrian bridge framed in the lounge, or a sliver of shoreline shrubbery glimpsed through the kitchen’s letterbox window.

The link between the project and its nautical context is further articulated through the combination of wood and metal materialities — traditional shipbuilding staples — expressed consistently across the façade and interior. The river is drawn further into the space through the deep green palette of the joinery, with tones borrowed from the hues of the water, while red accents reference nautical navigation markers, grounding the design within its riverside setting.