This Luxe Off-Grid Retreat Will Put You Right at Home on the Farm

With all its creature comforts hidden beneath a steel shed roof, Gawthorne’s Hut, a vacation rental in Australia’s Mudgee Valley, beckons visitors without breaking up the landscape.

Oct 6, 2021 - 02:34

This Luxe Off-Grid Retreat Will Put You Right at Home on the Farm

With all its creature comforts hidden beneath a steel shed roof, Gawthorne’s Hut, a vacation rental in Australia’s Mudgee Valley, beckons visitors without breaking up the landscape.

Set amid the rolling hills and lavender fields of a working cattle ranch in Mudgee, Australia, is Gawthorne’s Hut, a shed-roofed cabin by local architect Cameron Anderson. Named after the original owner of the farm, the structure weaves together past and present, combining salvaged brick from the property’s historic cottage with a modern solar array and rainwater harvesting system for a completely off-grid weekend getaway.

"The original brief called for a sustainable tourism experience for two people," explains Anderson. "We also wanted to respond architecturally to the unique qualities of the historical working farm, without creating a burden on aging infrastructure in the larger rural community." The solution is a roughly 430-square-foot, solar-powered single-room cabin that references the local vernacular of hay sheds and cottages in both form and materiality.