Roast my tiny cabin plan — no formal architect here, just a DIYer trying to make it make sense 🇿🇦
Hey everyone,
I’m not an architect (please don’t call the council 😅), but I was commissioned by a friend here in South Africa to design and build this small off-grid cabin. It’s meant for a site with a sloped terrain and a killer view of river mouth.
The specs:
1 bedroom (no loft)
Scandinavian-inspired style
Nutec building plank cladding (South African fiber cement siding)
Roof pitch: about 35°, with exposed rafters
Raised deck facing the view
Off-grid: no water supply, solar-powered
Simple timber structure, 16" OC stud spacing
My main goals: keep it lightweight, low-maintenance, and feasible for me to assemble on-site.
But… since I’ve gone full weekend-warrior-designer on this, I’d love for the pros and enthusiasts here to roast it. Tear into the layout, structure, roof lines, whatever jumps out. What would you change or improve if this were your cabin?