The structure called “Mudgee Permanent Camp” by its architect is the epitome of rustic modern with a definitively Australian bent. Located on a sheep station in central-west New South Wales, it sits atop a hill that provides views for hundreds of miles in all directions, either from the first floor with the copper sides propped open or from the roof, which doubles as a rain collection device.

Mudgee is just 10 by 10 feet, 200 square feet total, with a sleeping loft, kitchen, and wood stove. An outside is a short walk to the west. On the south side of the house, winches control the adjustable veranda roofs (and the water tank is tucked away). The copper sides, in additional to provide protection from rain, fire, and cold, connect the structure to the long building vernacular of Australian sheep ranches.

Architect: Casey Brown

Weekend Cabin isn’t necessarily about the weekend, or cabins. It’s about the longing for a sense of place, for shelter set in a landscape…for something that speaks to refuge and distance from the everyday. Nostalgic and wistful, it’s about how people create structure in ways to consider the earth and sky and their place in them. It’s not concerned with ownership or real estate, but what people build to fulfill their dreams of escape. The very time-shortened notion of “weekend” reminds that it’s a temporary respite.

Tagged as: shelter, weekend cabin