A striking new pair of architecturally designed cabins has opened on a working cattle farm just outside Orange, offering visitors an off-grid retreat unlike anything else in the Central West.
pc3orange, located on the edge of Orange, comprises two sharply profiled, steel-framed cabins inspired by the simple form of a tent and the curve of a pipi shell. The retreats are the third instalment in the celebrated Permanent Camping series by Casey Brown Architecture, following earlier projects in Mudgee and Berry.
Each self-contained cabin distils the idea of a retreat down to its essentials: a bed, a deck, a fireplace, a bathroom and a place to sit and watch the world go by. Inside, recycled ironbark lines the walls and ceilings, custom steel benches finished in a deep “volcanic orange” duco add a sculptural touch, and circular skylights frame views of the surrounding gum trees and night sky. A slow-combustion wood heater with a stone hearth set into the timber floor, fully louvred bathrooms, and Japanese-inspired furniture complete the considered interiors.
Owner Andrew Kermode said the cabins were designed to give visitors a genuine sense of reconnection, both with the landscape and with each other. “From the moment you arrive, the soaring steel forms are the first thing you notice. They sit so naturally as part of the landscape, but inside it’s all warmth, timber and quiet luxury,” Mr Kermode said.
“We wanted to create somewhere that’s about tranquillity and togetherness. Whether that’s watching the sunset with a glass of wine and a local cheeseboard or simply lying in bed watching the stars through the skylight, every detail has been considered to help people slow down and truly relax.”
The project was led for Casey Brown Architecture by co-founder Rob Brown, with Daniel Weber managing the project through to completion as Project Architect. Mr Weber said the design needed to respond to the unique nature of the rural environment.
“This is a part of the country that throws everything at a building: cold winters with snow heavy enough to bring down trees, hot, bushfire-prone summers, strong winds sweeping across open paddocks, and termites that make timber construction a real risk,” Mr Weber said.
“So the response had to be robust as well as beautiful. Each cabin is built entirely from steel, clad in corten so it weathers into the landscape rather than fighting it. From a distance the cabins read almost like rusted tents dropped into the paddock, but up close every element has been resolved with real precision. It’s a small building, but it’s not a house shrunk down. It’s its own considered response to this particular place, and we think it gives Orange something genuinely unique,” he said.
That response has already caught the attention of the architecture industry. pc3orange has been shortlisted in the Small Project category of the 2026 Australian Institute of Architects awards, one of Australia’s most prestigious design programs, with winners to be announced at a gala event in Melbourne on 4 September 2026. The project has also been shortlisted in the 2026 NSW Architecture Awards.
For a region already well known for its cool-climate wines, produce and restaurants, pc3orange adds a new drawcard: architecture-led accommodation that stands on its own as a destination. pc3orange is located at Griffin Road, Orange NSW 2800. Bookings and further information are available at www.pc3orange.au.
