The Cabin
The Project
The Cabin is a 1 bedroom 60m2 dwelling nestled between the trees of an avocado orchard. It was built and designed by Chris and Hannah Armstrong as a first house for themselves and a project to launch their careers working together. It was built from start to finish within 6 months, working only weekends until completion with help from friends and family.
This house is a minimalist design with no overly complicated details. It faces north for all-day sun, with the roof sloping upwards towards the light. Originally the couple had designed The Cabin as a shipping container house but switched to a standard timber frame construction after crunching a few numbers. They felt they could do more of the work themselves this way as they wouldn’t need to employ a separate professional to work with steel.
They still liked the look of the shipping container house so they used NuWall aluminium cladding to replicate the appearance of a shipping container. The external walls were built using 6x2 framing, so that better rated insulation could be used as there was more space for insulating. Vertical cedar cladding has been placed on the inside of the wing walls, as well as the soffit, and double-glazed joinery is used throughout the home.
Internally, all the doors are cavity sliders. This eliminated space needed for door swings and in the couple’s opinion also creates a greater feeling of flow between the rooms. The laundry is tucked away in the bathroom cupboard, which also acts as storage for linens and other household items.
The large deck, which stretches across the face of the home, gets all day sun and is used year-round.
Low Cost
The main factors driving the cost down in this project are its size and that it is a DIY project. Being 60m2 simply meant there was less materials and labour needed to finish the job. In this case, the couple also saved a good deal of money by not having to pay an architect - Hannah was able to do the plans herself as she is a licensed building practitioner. Nor did they need to pay for professional labour or advice with Chris being a builder.
The Armstrongs also had friends in the industry who offered discounts, as well as use of their trade accounts with local building merchants, which helped save on material costs.
Another saving was that they made the decision to import their kitchen, vanity, and walk in wardrobe from China. Though they concentrated their efforts to support local businesses throughout the build, these items were at such a great deal that they didn’t feel they could pass it up.
While not a building cost, the positioning of the home offers great natural light to flood the living area, kitchen, and bedroom which also heats the home, meaning that less money is spent on lighting and heating in the long term.
About Chris and Hannah Armstrong
Hannah is a designer, and Chris is a builder. Chris originally started out studying engineering at the University of Canterbury. After the earthquakes, he worked on some damaged buildings and decided a hands-on approach was better for him, and switched to building.
Hannah studied in Wellington, and when the couple both moved back to Tauranga they immersed themselves in the local building industry. It wasn’t long before they both got licensed and decided they wanted to get into designing and building homes themselves.
The Armstrongs have posted a timeline of progress pictures in creation of the cabin, which can be viewed on their Instagram account - The Cabin.
Contact
If you would like to get in contact about getting your own ‘cabin’ or for some design work by the Armstrongs head to studiohdesign.co.nz or email Hannah directly at hannah@studiohdesign.co.nz
