Alki Design's office
Wanaka Cabin is a compact urban retreat nestled beside the Clutha River in Albert Town—a quiet expression of natural architecture and deep-rooted craftsmanship. Designed and built with care, the 30m² home combines modern efficiency with age-old building traditions, using only natural, untreated materials sourced locally from the Otago and Southland regions.
The thick modular walls are constructed from StrawSIPs—a contemporary system of compressed straw and timber that provides high insulation, acoustic comfort, and year-round warmth. A hand-applied clay plaster interior, mixed from Central Otago earth, forms both the airtightness layer and thermal mass, stabilising indoor temperatures and lending texture to every surface. Built-in furniture and finishes are crafted from macrocarpa grown on Charlotte’s family farm in Southland, while reclaimed native timber windows and doors frame views of the mountains, encouraging just the right amount of solar gain.
Despite its modest footprint and a total build cost of under NZD100,000, the cabin includes energy and water heat recovery systems, with annual energy costs of under NZD 300. Kinetic, space-efficient furniture transforms throughout the day to support daily living while maintaining a sense of spaciousness and flow. Blending international design standards with local materials and family heritage, Wanaka Cabin carries a quiet nostalgia—a place where innovation, memory, and nature align in a thoughtful, enduring whole.
Wanaka Cabin is a compact urban retreat nestled beside the Clutha River in Albert Town—a quiet expression of natural architecture and deep-rooted craftsmanship. Designed and built with care, the 30m² home combines modern efficiency with age-old building traditions, using only natural, untreated materials sourced locally from the Otago and Southland regions.
The thick modular walls are constructed from StrawSIPs—a contemporary system of compressed straw and timber that provides high insulation, acoustic comfort, and year-round warmth. A hand-applied clay plaster interior, mixed from Central Otago earth, forms both the airtightness layer and thermal mass, stabilising indoor temperatures and lending texture to every surface. Built-in furniture and finishes are crafted from macrocarpa grown on Charlotte’s family farm in Southland, while reclaimed native timber windows and doors frame views of the mountains, encouraging just the right amount of solar gain.
Despite its modest footprint and a total build cost of under NZD100,000, the cabin includes energy and water heat recovery systems, with annual energy costs of under NZD 300. Kinetic, space-efficient furniture transforms throughout the day to support daily living while maintaining a sense of spaciousness and flow. Blending international design standards with local materials and family heritage, Wanaka Cabin carries a quiet nostalgia—a place where innovation, memory, and nature align in a thoughtful, enduring whole.
Wanaka Cabin is a compact urban retreat nestled beside the Clutha River in Albert Town—a quiet expression of natural architecture and deep-rooted craftsmanship. Designed and built with care, the 30m² home combines modern efficiency with age-old building traditions, using only natural, untreated materials sourced locally from the Otago and Southland regions.
The thick modular walls are constructed from StrawSIPs—a contemporary system of compressed straw and timber that provides high insulation, acoustic comfort, and year-round warmth. A hand-applied clay plaster interior, mixed from Central Otago earth, forms both the airtightness layer and thermal mass, stabilising indoor temperatures and lending texture to every surface. Built-in furniture and finishes are crafted from macrocarpa grown on Charlotte’s family farm in Southland, while reclaimed native timber windows and doors frame views of the mountains, encouraging just the right amount of solar gain.
Despite its modest footprint and a total build cost of under NZD100,000, the cabin includes energy and water heat recovery systems, with annual energy costs of under NZD 300. Kinetic, space-efficient furniture transforms throughout the day to support daily living while maintaining a sense of spaciousness and flow. Blending international design standards with local materials and family heritage, Wanaka Cabin carries a quiet nostalgia—a place where innovation, memory, and nature align in a thoughtful, enduring whole.
Wanaka Cabin is a compact urban retreat nestled beside the Clutha River in Albert Town—a quiet expression of natural architecture and deep-rooted craftsmanship. Designed and built with care, the 30m² home combines modern efficiency with age-old building traditions, using only natural, untreated materials sourced locally from the Otago and Southland regions.
The thick modular walls are constructed from StrawSIPs—a contemporary system of compressed straw and timber that provides high insulation, acoustic comfort, and year-round warmth. A hand-applied clay plaster interior, mixed from Central Otago earth, forms both the airtightness layer and thermal mass, stabilising indoor temperatures and lending texture to every surface. Built-in furniture and finishes are crafted from macrocarpa grown on Charlotte’s family farm in Southland, while reclaimed native timber windows and doors frame views of the mountains, encouraging just the right amount of solar gain.
Despite its modest footprint and a total build cost of under NZD100,000, the cabin includes energy and water heat recovery systems, with annual energy costs of under NZD 300. Kinetic, space-efficient furniture transforms throughout the day to support daily living while maintaining a sense of spaciousness and flow. Blending international design standards with local materials and family heritage, Wanaka Cabin carries a quiet nostalgia—a place where innovation, memory, and nature align in a thoughtful, enduring whole.
