Stay in a free owl-shaped cabin in France and get off the grid

It's free!
 By 
Samantha Scelzo
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Get off the grid and reconnect with nature by staying in this adorable free cabin in the Bordeaux region of Southwestern France.

Why is it adorable? Because it's shaped like three giant forest owls.

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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

You can stay in this sweet home for absolutely nothing as part of an artistic initiative, called Bruit de Frigo, encouraging city folks to disconnect, unwind, and experience the beautiful nature around them.

According to Boredpanda, Les Guetteurs (“the watchers”) are plywood cabins containing three floors, circular white beds, and a boardwalk overlooking nearby wetlands. It was designed and constructed by contemporary art producer Zébra3, a project commissioned by artist-architect collective Bruit de Frigo as part of their Refuges périurbains (“peri-urban shelters”) campaign.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

According to the cabin's booking website, the design is inspired by brachyotis, small owls of the marshes that nest on the ground and watch over the river. The beds are round to resemble nests, and are in the heads of the owls to allow campers to observe "the stars, the moon, the reflections of the river in darkness."

Zébra3 designer Candice Petrillo further explained the inspiration behind the design by saying, "The idea of the birds came to me very quickly. After the last extension of the commercial area, I saw migrants swirling around in the sky, looking for the old dried wetland. Animal nod and the contour of the object are in turn a tribute to the sculptor François Pompon and François-Xavier Lalanne."

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Although the structure lacks water, heat, and electricity, the cost of getting in touch with nature is, literally, priceless.

Topics Innovations

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Samantha Scelzo

Samantha was a Watercooler Web Culture & Lifestyle intern at Mashable. Follow her on Twitter @samiscelz.

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