OFFGRID-INSTYLE small home and cabin designs are essentially kit homes which can be built onsite in just a few weeks by a small team of local tradesmen – using standard readily-available off-the-shelf materials and components, utilising conventional construction techniques and standard-sized wall sheets, floor sheets, and roof sheets in easily-handled sizes to minimise waste and labour.
Detailed construction drawings complete with a comprehensive materials order list can be purchased here. These drawings are prepared by a certified building designer in compliance with the Australian SAA Light Timber Framing Code, so in most parts of Australia they can be submitted to local council for approval (with the addition of a site plan, engineer's certificate, and whatever else your council requires). These drawings and order lists can also be given to local builders and tradesmen for quotes, making their task much easier since they only have to estimate their labour cost, while owners can get competitive quotes on the complete list of materials and components from one or more of the major retail building suppliers such as Bunnings or Mitre 10.
The design philosophy embraces stylish modern simplicity, minimalism, functionality, durability, and economy, combined with the belief that in most cases, houses built onsite, by local tradesmen, using locally purchased (and sourced, if possible) materials, can be more socially responsible, more attractive, more robust, and more affordable than factory-built prefabricated houses.
