Born from Vancouver-based Leckie Studio Architecture + Design, Backcountry Huts Company (BHC) is a design-driven venture that has reimagined the modern wilderness cabin. Since its founding in 2015, BHC has developed a suite of prefabricated, modular hut systems that blend minimal environmental impact with rugged, modern design. Fast + Epp provided structural engineering for two of the base models (System 01 – Single-Storey Cabin, and System 02 – Two-Storey Cabin), focusing on a modular framework for each system that balances durability, simplicity, and design.

Project Essentials

  • ClientBackcountry Huts Company
  • ArchitectLeckie Studio Architecture + Design
  • Size(s)Sizes range up to 2,000 sq. ft.
Close up image of an assembled Backcountry Huts Company cabin on Fogo Island on the rocky coastline of Newfoundland Interior image of an assembled Backcountry Huts Company cabin on Fogo Island, showing the warmth of the wood inside the cabin, with the view outside the window off the rocky coastline of Newfoundland

Each shell system is engineered for minimal environmental impact, using a 10-foot modular structural increment that can be combined to expand floor area and accommodate additional living spaces. Utilizing a glulam post-and-beam wood frame, infilled with prefabricated wall and roof panels and incorporating simple nail-on window systems, all components are sized for manual handling to support DIY construction. While foundations are site-specific, the systems are compatible with various foundation types, including piles, perimeter/crawl space, and habitable basements.

Aerial photo of an assembled Backcountry Huts Company cabin on Fogo Island, on the rocky coastline of Newfoundland

These cabins are designed for flexibility and ease of deployment on remote sites accessible by truck or helicopter. Structural efficiency supports scalable configurations and customization while maintaining a tight, low-maintenance building envelope. Clad in durable black metal and built to withstand the elements, these systems offer a blank slate inside for the client to customize on their own.

Fast + Epp has supported the customizations and site specific engineering for several of the builds of these cabin systems, including the recently completed Fogo Island Hut (pictured here) on the coast of Newfoundland.

Images by Julian Parkinson

Close up image of an assembled Backcountry Huts Company cabin on Fogo Island, showing the warmth of the wood at the entrance of the cabin on the rocky coastline of Newfoundland