A true eco cabin in the Western Cape
There are many eco cabins in the Western Cape that claim the title, often because they’re simply off-grid. But true eco-building is about more than solar panels and septic tanks—it’s about design, sustainability, and harmony with nature. Skaam Cabin was created as a completely unique structure using repurposed and recycled materials, blending seamlessly into the mountain landscape.
For ten years, I studied eco-building techniques, collecting ideas while searching for the perfect site—wild enough to feel like a retreat into nature, yet still within reach of Cape Town. I envisioned an off-grid sanctuary: maybe an underground home, a passive house, or something with a green roof. The site would determine the build.
I finally found the perfect stand while mountain biking my favorite pass—Bainskloof. It was in Mount Bain Private Nature Reserve, an ideal setting for sustainable living and one of the most scenic spots for accommodation in Bainskloof. Post-COVID, the owner was oddly eager to sell. The views were breathtaking, the air was pure, and I felt immersed in untouched fynbos. I didn’t yet know I’d just inherited one of the most challenging building sites in the region—or that five previous owners had tried and failed to develop it.
Undue Influence
The plot was both inspiring and impractical—a rugged ridge nestled between Tierkop and the Hawequas mountains, flanked by two seasonal streams. The logical spot to build was already cut by a service road, forcing me to choose a more complex footprint.
Then came the friction. Building in a private estate meant dealing with human politics. Some neighbours, whose homes did little to respect the natural environment, objected to my design. Originally, I envisioned the cabin as an eagle landing on the ridge—two wings as bedrooms, with the living space as the body. The HOA, pushed by their influence, forced me to separate one bedroom into a standalone unit. That structure became known as “The Undue”—a nod to the undue influence of neighbourly egos on what was supposed to be an organic, nature-led design. Even basic environmental upgrades—like drilling a borehole to reduce water use or raising walkways to prevent erosion—sparked backlash. Eventually, I commissioned a full Environmental Impact Assessment to ensure my methods were sound. The results were in my favour. Still, the emotional wear-and-tear nearly caused me to walk away.
The Passage of Time
Even after emotionally shelving the project, I couldn’t stop thinking about how to build something truly sustainable. I’m not a builder by trade—more of an Excel guy than a hammer guy—but I needed a challenge. When I resumed the concept, the cabin was still just an idea called Mt Bain Eco Cabin.
Time off gave me room to source incredible materials: steel plate rejects, I-beams from scrapped engineering projects, Mentis gratings from decommissioned telecom infrastructure, Oregon pine from old Cape Town buildings, and marine ply from shipping crates. Skaam Cabin began taking shape—not just as a mountain cabin in the Western Cape, but as a living, breathing experiment in low-impact architecture.
Pulling the Trigger
In August 2023, when red tape stalled my Bushguru Safari Trailer project, I took it as a sign to begin. With two totally inexperienced but eager helpers, we started building—slowly.
Transporting material was a major issue. A single trailer trip up the mountain took two hours. On one trip, the trailer’s wheel fell of the bridge. I was still in a moon boot, recovering from Achilles surgery, trying to salvage a 1.5-ton load with one foot and one helper.
I spent three days a week sourcing and moving materials and only two days building. In total, I clocked 100,000km and spent over R500,000 on diesel and repairs. But the dream was moving forward.
Nature’s Scorn
Just as momentum built, Mother Nature had her say. January 2024 brought violent winds, halting progress on the southern wall and the roof. Then came the Kleintjieskraal fire, which tore through 20,000 hectares in just 14 days—our site included. The once-lush fynbos that made the ridge feel magical was reduced to ash in seconds.
In the chaos, my focus shifted away from the cabin. I prioritized protecting community infrastructure—the shared water system—believing it were essential to everyone’s recovery. In doing so, I neglected to fully safeguard my own property. The result: over R60,000 in materials lost, much of it irreplaceable, especially as the cost of Oregon pine began to climb due to limited supply.
At the time, I didn’t realise how much the fire would influence the final design. But with the vegetation stripped away, I could finally see the raw contours of the ridge—its skeleton, its story. In a strange way, the fire revealed what the landscape had been hiding, guiding me toward a new creative direction.
For weeks, we worked in ash and soot. I looked like a coal miner each evening. But slowly, we began to rebuild.
A World First
I’ve always disliked cement. It’s among the most environmentally damaging materials. But I love rock cladding—so I had a dilemma. My solution? Recycled network cable trays, repurposed into gabion baskets that required zero cement. My wife pushed me to go for it, and the result was extraordinary.
Thanks to the fire, we could harvest sandstone right from the land. Skaam Cabin became the first structure in the world clad in recycled network cable trays—some walls rising over 5 meters without a drop of cement. It was a true eco-building innovation.
Then Came the Rain
Winter arrived with new challenges. Water flowed both above and below the ridge. The parking area was washed away, the septic tank lifted from the ground, and walls began to weep from water seeping through fissures.
Even our Sho Sugi Ban–clad pine reacted. The younger, plantation-grown boards swelled, while the 80-year-old reclaimed boards stood firm—proof that repurposed natural materials have unmatched integrity.
The Empire Strikes Again
Just as we recovered, the neighbour drama returned. Old cows were dug up again—from the rock pool to the borehole. Delays mounted. Design changes were required. I felt like I was in an abusive relationship where nothing good was acknowledged, only old grievances weaponised.
This time, it almost broke me. Costs escalated, timeframes stretched, and the dream felt increasingly out of reach.
Perseverance Is an Action
They say perseverance is a mindset, but I believe it’s a muscle—it only grows under pressure.
The period from September to March was a test I wouldn’t wish on anyone. The physical toll, the emotional exhaustion, the financial bleeding—it nearly broke me. But we made it. My wife and I grew closer. What started as a personal dream became a shared mission. Most people didn’t believe we’d finish. To be honest, by August 2024, I didn’t either.
But here it stands—Skaam Cabin.
And in the end, it was all worth the sacrifice. Every delay, every detour, every dark moment became part of the foundation. The cabin isn’t just built of stone and steel—it’s built of persistence, conviction, and care.
Now, Skaam Cabin begins its next chapter—not just as a beautiful mountain cabin in the Western Cape, but as a romantic sanctuary for couples seeking space to reconnect. The country’s first cabin with an adult fantasy suite, where intimacy is encouraged, communication deepens, and relationships can breathe again.
Because sometimes the things we fight hardest to bring into the world are the ones that matter most.
And to all the things in life that almost didn’t happen—but did.
A Final Word of Thanks
While Skaam Cabin was a deeply personal journey, it was far from a solo one. A project of this scale and uniqueness needed more than vision—it needed the right partners. We’re incredibly grateful to the teams who stood by us, often going above and beyond to bring this dream to life.
A special thank you to Bree Rivier Engineering for their ingenuity and precision in tackling the complex structural challenges of our terrain; to HVS Aluminium and Glass for crafting the sleek, high-performance glazing that brings the landscape into every room; to Timber Connection, whose beautiful reclaimed wood gave the cabin its warmth and soul; and to MLK Electric, who brought light and safety to an off-grid design with total professionalism.
Your craftsmanship, reliability, and commitment to quality made Skaam Cabin possible—and we’re proud to have built this story together.