Donnington Ridge

Tucked into 16 acres of koala-protected bushland in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Donnington Ridge is a tiny off-grid cabin with a big heart. A personal project for Maytree Studios Director Bec Caldwell and her family, it is a place to slow down, reconnect with nature and spend uninterrupted time together.

Purchased in 2020, the property came with a tired 48m² cabin, no larger than a double garage, and a landscape requiring just as much attention. Rather than starting again, the project became an exercise in making the most of what was already there, transforming a modest structure into a warm, hardworking retreat for a family of four.

Within its tiny footprint, the cabin accommodates four beds, living, dining and kitchen spaces, along with a bathroom and laundry. New openings frame the surrounding landscape, while birch plywood linings, charred timber cladding, concrete benchtops and reclaimed materials bring warmth and character. Much of the renovation was undertaken by Bec and her family, embracing the resourcefulness and occasional imperfections of building something yourself.

Powered by solar energy and supported by rainwater harvesting, passive design and considered material choices, the cabin sits somewhere between camping and a conventional home. Living off-grid has brought a greater appreciation for the resources we often take for granted and the value of using less to achieve more.

But Donnington Ridge is not a finished project. Beyond the cabin, the family is undertaking a long-term commitment to rehabilitating the landscape through the Land for Wildlife program, removing weeds, nurturing habitat and creating places to enjoy the property. A campfire, an outdoor bath, a book in the sun and long afternoons together are as much a part of the project as the architecture itself.

Donnington Ridge is an ongoing exercise in placemaking, where the architecture is just one small part of a much bigger story. It reflects ideas central to Maytree Studios: building small, building well, finding beauty in practicality and creating places that enrich the lives of those who use them.

Read more about Bec’s experience on the other side of the drawing board, and what she learned from designing and building her own off-grid cabin.

• Location

  Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country
  Maleny, Sunshine Coast Hinterland