A compact rammed-earth house that captures the light, nestles among the trees and meets the flame zone requirements of the area.

Kasa Cabin, a holiday home for a family of four, has a compact 140-square-metre footprint, faces north and every room features rammed earth and a framed view of the rainforest. The pitched gable roof creates a voluminous double-height space over the kitchen, dining and living area. The main bedroom, with ensuite and walk-in-robe, is to the northeast for the sunrise, and the covered outdoor area to the northwest for the sunset. Stairs behind the kitchen lead up the guest bedroom and the children’s bedroom, accessed via a cargo net.

Working within the bounds of a small existing clearing, the siting and footprint has been carefully considered to minimise environmental impact on the ecologically endangered wet sclerophyll forest and threatened rainforest and wildlife species.

“We wanted the house to be like a cabin in the woods, with views of trees from every window, and trees as close to the building as is safe with bushfires”

The timber throughout the house is as local as it comes, milled from four dead trees on the site. One was a towering mountain ash. Its trunk was chopped into long lengths and milled offsite into full-length, full-width slabs that now make up the living area floor, sliding bedroom door, bathroom and wardrobe joinery and the dining table that Karl built. The other three trees were milled and kiln dried onsite and utilised in the timber slats, louvres and other joinery.

Maintaining the light and natural colour palette, the ceiling is lined with pressed fibre cement sheets and the muted green-brown joinery in the kitchen draws the colours of the bush inside. The architectural detailing of forms and where materials meet creates contemporary lines that flow throughout the house.