Off-grid Sustainable Cabin ● Holiday Accommodation
Hillside Cabin
Designed by Matt Burleigh ● Feasibility Design
The Maleny Cabin was conceived as a place of calm and connection—an off-grid design created for a young family of four seeking a simpler life in the hills of Queensland. The spatial layout was carefully considered to support ease of living and strong ties to the surrounding landscape, aligning with the family’s desire for a sustainable design that blends seamlessly with nature.
The Maleny Cabin held personal meaning for the family it was designed for—an off-grid, country retreat where beauty, comfort, and sustainability could coexist. The design embraced natural timbers and corrugated roofing to reflect the local vernacular, while fully integrating off-grid systems like solar, water storage, and greywater management. The result was a welcoming, biophilic concept that blurred the boundaries between indoors and out—rooted in place, yet adaptable for remote living.
Beauty and comfort were seamlessly woven into a highly functional off-grid design, reflecting the family’s appreciation for natural timbers, sustainable systems, and a deep connection to the land.
The cabin’s restrained palette was intended to be complemented by simple, durable timber furnishings—celebrating craftsmanship and allowing the natural textures of the materials to take centre stage. Entirely constructed from timber and corrugated roofing, the design drew from New Zealand cabin typologies while responding to the unique climate and context of the Maleny hills.
Though unbuilt, the Maleny Cabin remains a quiet and thoughtful example of off-grid design—where sustainable living, country design principles, and biophilic intent come together to form a grounded, place-responsive home.
Feasibility study by Cynosure Architecture.