Two Architects' Design and Build an Off Grid Cabin in the Forest (Cabin Tour)

This project is on the east coast of Tasmania. It has one of the last remaining stands of the endangered Oyster Bay pine. The client, in collaboration with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, acquired the land to protect this particular stand of pine, so hence the name Pine Flat Lodge. Pine Flat Lodge is the simplest gesture we could make. It's a line between a particular stand of Oyster Bay pines and an amazing view. It's an unusual building in that there's a real desire to be part of a place, as opposed to sit upon it and consume a particular view. It's very much about dwelling and belonging, which is quite an unusual brief. This was a deliberate move towards conserving the land and rehabilitating the land, and within that desire there was a lot of motivation for the building and the way that we constructed the building to be morally understandable and justifiable. The building itself is pretty hard to classify as one particular thing. It operates in so many different ways. It is a retreat for the clients, who are a couple that have now retired. It is their extended family shack, so they have their grandkids and everyone up here, but they also open it up for people that are interested in the environment. Our intention was for the building to reflect that as well. That was definitely part of the brief. The generosity and the adaptability of the communal spaces to be able to house a lot of people or to just get cosy or use the decks as living spaces, it is a gift to people that are interested and share that environmental agenda. It's very much an open building for a lot of people to enjoy. We originally drew the building in a very efficient steel structure, but then upon review of that documentation, the client came back to me and said, well, look, you're using far too much steel. It needs to be using sustainably sourced timber, and then we redesigned the entire structure around timber. Every detail in the building is a bespoke detail, so there's no componentry that's off the shelf. There was a deliberate desire to support local craftsmen to rigorously pursue efficient use of material and minimise our carbon footprint. The building itself is comprised of modules or pods within a continuous envelope. The communal spaces are open to the landscape. They're separated by decks. There's a constant reminder of verandas as you move from one communal space, like a living area to a kitchen, you go outside. And then the sleeping areas are facing a different direction, and they're timber lined cocoons, and they're specifically focused around sleeping. They're really designed as a retreat after a day in the sun tending the land. The house is completely off the grid, so it's solar power and collects its own rainwater. Everyone that visits has to be mindful of their consumption of power and water, and generally mindful of resources. In that way, the building encourages that connection to nature again and the connection with the building. It's really a living thing. The project is all about sustainability, utilising resources in a morally accountable way. There was a very deep and rigorous and clear communication with them about every detail in the building. The way that the structure would move because it's mostly timber, how the doors would work, how did the door seals work, what was the quality of the timber. There was basically a discussion about every single little detail. I think there's a genuine poetry to that as well. There's delight in only having those elements that are absolutely necessary. That was a really positive and productive relationship, and I think it created a fascinating little building. The design sequence of spaces and the verandas separating them really forces that connection to nature and land. You're reminded of the cold and the wind and the environment, and to me that's really what this building and the brief is all about. It's reminding people of their connection to nature while having an extraordinary experience and an extraordinary landscape. This The Local Project video is sponsored by Squarespace. Squarespace is an all-in-one platform to build a beautiful online presence. Seamlessly curate and create a unique online portfolio to land your next job or share your work with the community and beyond. Select a layout and replace the content with your own work or start with a blank page and design the layout yourself. Squarespace offers easy and effortless ways to display your creative projects. Head to squarespace.com for a free trial to explore your creative potential and when you're ready to launch, go to squarespace.com slash thelocalproject to save 10% on your first purchase of a website or domain.