Two DIYers Erect an Off-Grid Cabin in the Canadian Rockies for Next to Nothing

Thanks to their savvy with salvaged materials and knack for bartering, Nathalie and Greg Kupfer constructed the micro-cabin for less than $50 in net costs.

Sep 14, 2021 - 21:51
Two DIYers Erect an Off-Grid Cabin in the Canadian Rockies for Next to Nothing

Thanks to their savvy with salvaged materials and knack for bartering, Nathalie and Greg Kupfer constructed the micro-cabin for less than $50 in net costs.

Nathalie Kupfer will tell you proudly: She is not beyond dumpster diving. 

Steel doors rescued from a condo renovation; perfectly preserved plywood discarded by a soap warehouse undergoing expansion; cork flooring donated by a neighbor. Nathalie (a retired industrial designer) and her husband, Greg (a former paramedic), are longtime DIY builders, and they see opportunity, not waste, when they bike past a renovation in action in Canmore, their southern Alberta ski town.

Nathalie and Greg Kupfer used salvaged and gifted materials to construct a tiny cabin in Alberta, Canada. They spent $2,109 on the build and recouped $2,087 by selling items they had obtained by bartering.

Nathalie and Greg Kupfer used salvaged and gifted materials to construct a tiny cabin in Alberta, Canada. They spent $2,109 on the build and recouped $2,087 by selling items they had obtained by bartering. 

Photo: Grant Harder

Nathalie and Greg perch on the front steps on a sunny summer day.

Nathalie and Greg perch on the front steps on a sunny summer day. 

Photo: Grant Harder

Last year the couple’s mental wheels started turning when one friend offered them a derelict garden shed and another provided a little spot of land on his ranch in the Canadian Rockies. What if they built an all-season, off-grid micro-cabin? What if it was made from as many salvaged and repurposed materials as possible? For two seasoned DIYers, the self-imposed challenge was too enticing to ignore.

"A neighbor once said to us, ‘You have too many ideas.’ But we can’t help ourselves!" says Nathalie with a laugh.

The living area is furnished with a Gladom side table, a throw pillow, and cushions—all from Ikea. At night, the loft ladder leans over the sofa, secured with a bungee cord; during the day, it props up beside the Woodsman fireplace.

The living area is furnished with a Gladom side table, a throw pillow, and cushions—all from Ikea. At night, the loft ladder leans over the sofa, secured with a bungee cord; during the day, it props up beside the Woodsman fireplace.  

Photo: Grant Harder

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