This humble retreat of corrugated copper and recycled iron bark timber is off-grid, way off-grid. The site has no water, no electricity, and no roads (dwellers simply meander in on horseback). The self-sufficient solitary tower is the creative genius of Rob Brown, of Casey Brown Architecture.

The hideaway allows its owner (a Sydney-based graphic designer with the urge for an eternal campsite) to relish a 360 degree view of pure nature without a hint of humanity in sight.

“A simple cabin on a remote Australian sheep station is an eloquent answer to one man’s quest for a ‘permanent tent’ where he re-connects with nature.”

Two simple materials, oiled timber and copper cladding, encase less than 100 square feet of living space. This escape from urban chaos is designed to be warmed through glass walls, allowing solar heat to radiate under the sheltered copper awnings, which fold down to protect the delicate space from Mother Nature’s harshest elements. A powerful lone wood burning fireplace balances the nighttime chills, with heat radiating and rising to warm the insulated loft bedroom. “The copper won’t rust and will patina over the years and, like a boulder covered in lichen, recede into the bush,” Brown notes. I can hardly wait to see this quaint sanctuary after the kiss of time has lent its gorgeous, green patina.

Rainwater collection, a canvas shower among gum trees (poetic, right?), and an outhouse provide all the plumbing.

This little copper haven was erected with no machinery on the site, just old-fashioned labor (the building was prefabricated off-site). “It’s a creative person’s retreat,” says Brown. “You can stay and be at one with nature on a mountain. The ability to go to a place and be in solitude in today’s over-scheduled urban lifestyle is romantic, something perhaps we all long for.”

I don’t know about you, but my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…

(Images by Mikkel Vang. Click here to read the original Vogue Living article, written by Helen Redmond.)

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The alluring appeal of tropical nature is enthralling. Straight from the pages of one of my favorite glossy muses, the May/June issue of Australia Vogue Living offers this piece of paradise in a ten page spread. Here’s an edited taste of the original article written by Susan Westwood.

All the elements of a glamorous resort are laced together with the skills of local artisans at the Sovena Kiri Resort. Conceived by Six Senses, this hotel offers charm and responsibility perched beautifully on an island in the southeast corner of the gulf of Thailand. Earthy, local materials have been designed to gracefully depict nature through driftwood poles and rafters, teak leaf ceilings, and bamboo supports.

Pavilions are sprinkled throughout the property, nestled into rainforests, balanced high on cliff tops, and standing just steps from the beach. Central amenities include breezy dining salas (open air pavilions), an observatory pod for star gazing, and restaurants serving fresh, organic food (most vegetables are grown on site). The natural materials are adorned with vibrant splashes of color – hot fuschia, orange, and yellow – like “tropical blooms bursting through the surrounding jungle.”

Eva Shivdasani, director of interiors at Six Senses, shares her thoughts on the project, “My initial concept for this resort, as always, is to fit the designs with the natural environment and for them to represent the local culture.”

(This gorgeous photography by the talented Mikkel Vang.)

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