Australian entry among winning designs in Welsh cabin design competition

A cabin covered with scale-like shingles, with a base modelled on a dragon’s claw, is one of eight winning designs inspired by folklore and nature that have been built to tour the countryside in Wales.

Another winner is a tiny hut modelled by the traditional Welsh stovepipe hat, which may seem a bit more pedestrian – but it’s referencing a particular historical incident where thousands of women wearing them came out to watch Welsh militia defeat a French invasion.

The eight shack designs from across the world were chosen as part of a Year of Legends, a Welsh tourism campaign, and cost less than £11,000 ($19,000) to build.

They had to use local materials, be transportable on a 2.7 x 5.7 metre chassis, and contain a bed and mattress, compost toilet, shower and wood-burning stove – this is for glamping, after all. 

The competition to choose the winning entries – launched in September last year, with the winners announced in December. The cabins are available to book from June to September in locations at Snowdia and the Llŷn Peninsula. 

There’s a diverse selection to choose from. If you can’t get enough of staring at the Welsh skies, for example – Wales has the highest percentage of light-pollution free, Dark Sky protected skies in the world – there’s the SKYHUT by Waind Gohil + Potter Architects. It has a glass ceiling exposed by a geared cable system that allows it to act as observatory with a comfortable bed.

Booked out in June, it has a wool-lined fame, a king-sized bed and domed roof for stargazing.

There’s also another dragon hut on offer – The Dragon’s Eye with a rotating bed – plus a red Miner’s Hut, an Animated Forest inspired by a Welsh poem from Francis and Arnett, and a bit of Arthurian legend with a very fancy larch board clad structure from Miller Kendrick Architects.

It took four weeks to build and takes its concept from “a cave that King Arthur and his knights slept in for a night – but could never find again”. Thankfully they’ve dropped the mysterious location bit from the whole experience.

And there’s an Australian entry – The Slate Cabin designed by Sydney studio Trias takes its cue and namesake from the abundance of the local and traditional building material. The cabin has a contrasting light wood interior, and a table with seating overlooking a view of the countryside – envisioned as a quiet spot to read and write.

Each of the cabins will be featured on a Channel 4 documentary, and presumably on envy-triggering instagram posts all over the world.

Sky Hut – inspired by the sky.