When architects Anthony Hunt and Luke Stanley received a brief for an eco-friendly hut in rural Australia, blending the structure in with the surroundings was a primary objective. JR's Hut on the Kimo Estate does stick out of its hilltop home, but this off-grid cabin is no sore thumb, making tasteful use of sustainable materials to shelter visitors in stylish A-frame inspired accommodation for two.
"We always loved the A-frame, it's simplistic and it has been done lots of times," Hunt tells New Atlas. "But we wanted to do something a bit different, with a hut that really references the classic A-frame tent and its guy lines."
Sitting on the 6,000-acre (2,400 ha) Kimo Estate in rural New South Wales, Australia, the hut is part of a farm that has been reinvented to host weddings and events, or folks who simply want to unplug and unwind.
The cabin is finished in corrugated iron that rests on a solid hardwood frame crafted from locally sourced Silvertop Ash. The rafters are left exposed at the front to resemble the guy lines of an A-frame tent that anchor the structure to the ground, maximizing light and creating an open decking with 270-degree views of the rolling hills.
Inside the solar-powered cabin is a bed for two, bathroom with a view and a freestanding wood burner fireplace. Silvertop Ash and other Australian hardwoods feature throughout the interior, along with handcrafted details that reference the existing buildings on the farm.
"What it came down to was being there and responding to the property," Hunt explains. "We had a look around at the classic, weathered materials like the galvanized iron and concrete shearing sheds, and we tried to draw back on the surroundings."
The Kimo Estate is located around 12 km outside the town of Gundagai. Stays can be booked online, with prices starting at AUD$350 (US$265) per night.
Sources: Kimo Estate, Anthony Hunt Design
