You Can Stay at These Prefab Cabins in Scotland for $300 a Night—Or Build Your Own for $120K
Welcome to Prefab Profiles, an ongoing series of interviews with people transforming how we build houses. From prefab tiny houses and modular cabin kits to entire homes ready to ship, their projects represent some of the best ideas in the industry. Do you know a prefab brand that should be on our radar? Get in touch!
Having both spent a decade working in the corporate world, Charlie Teale and Amber Pledge had come to appreciate any opportunity to disconnect from their day to day and take trips across Scotland. While the country had no shortage of scenic escapes, "we found there was a chronic undersupply of modern, minimalist properties that we wanted to stay in," says Amber. "As a result, we created Kabn."
Kabn built and now manages a network of off-grid, boutique retreats on the shores of Loch Fyne, Scotland. Inspired by homes they saw on a trip to Japan, the founders wanted the design of the stays to be minimal, refined, and connected to the landscape—a way of encouraging their guests to practice shinrin-yoku, which is the Japanese term for forest bathing, or being in a forest atmosphere. Here, Amber tells us how they created spaces designed for letting the woods wash over you.
Kabn built and installed two prefab rental cabins along Loche Fyne in Scotland. Each considers its particular site: Pictured here, Kabn 1 was oriented so that the floor-to-ceiling glazing on the short side frames the shore.
What’s the most exciting project you’ve realized to date?
Nestled along the captivating shores of Loch Fyne in Scotland, our cabins are designed to immerse you in your surroundings with floor-to-ceiling windows and a pitched roof. Positioned just 10 meters from the loch shore, you can indulge in mesmerizing views of tides, weather spectacles, and playful resident seals.
What sets our prefabs apart is their individuality. Each is meant to harmonize with the environment. One features a portrait orientation with a glass-slatted gable, while the other showcases a landscape orientation with a dramatic glass corner. Imagine unwinding by the fire, the soothing sounds of water lapping against the shore—truly a therapeutic escape into nature.
Kabn 2 was designed so that its long side faces the lake. Apart from providing entry into the home, the glazed corner of cabin frames the water just past a gravel path.
What does your base model cost and what does that pricing include?
The build cost per cabin was £98,000 (U.S. $120,000), which includes the structure and internal fit out. Each cabin is 27 square meters, or roughly 290 square feet.
A lounge chair by Ferm Living accompanies a fireplace.
The kitchens are fully equipped with a gas stove, refrigerator, and a gamut of small appliances. The woodburning stove installed in both units has an insert on the top so that guests can use it to bake or cook with.
What qualities make your prefab stand apart from the rest?
Kabn wants to redefine sustainable luxury with off-grid cabins in stunning rural locations. Sustainability has been a core focus from construction through to operation. We specifically chose to construct our cabins using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) which gives them a very luxurious and sturdy feel and ensures they are built to last 60-plus years. The CLT is made from sustainable timber sources and, unlike steel or concrete, sequesters carbon throughout its lifetime. It’s also very strong yet light which is important, as the units are delivered fully complete to site and craned into place.
These qualities also enable the Kabns to sit on very light touch foundations—either small concrete pads or screws—which further minimizes disturbance to the environment. CLT has exceptional thermal properties reducing the amount of heating required to keep the Kabns warm, and it has great fire, seismic and acoustic performance. As a consequence of all these qualities, CLT is priced at a premium to SIPs and other construction methods, however, in order to create a luxury product we believe it is important.
The bedrooms are large enough to accommodate a king-sized mattress. The bathrooms feature rainfall showers and flushing toilets.
Fifteen solar panels provide electricity to the cabins, and in colder months, a generator is used to make up for the lack of sunlight.
In keeping with the Japanese inspiration for the cabins, the siding is yakisugi.
The cross-laminated timber used to build the cabins is left exposed inside to reference the Japanese and Scandinavian influences of the project, as well as to reduce the environmental impact of the prefab’s construction and maintenance.
Are there plans to expand to different parts of the world?
Yes, we have plans to expand around the U.K. and internationally.
How long can a client expect the process to take after they put down a deposit?
The construction time is approximately two months for a completely fitted-out Kabn. They are built in a large warehouse, which enables the building of multiple units simultaneously, resulting in a much faster timeline than traditional construction.
What aspects of an install do you manage?
We manage the entire process from planning to site preparation, including utilities, installation, and operation.
Stays at Kabn start at around $300 per night. This price increases slightly in the spring and summer, as well as with add-ons like catering by chefs.
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