Scattered along the 160-kilometer long rugged terrain of Victoria’s Grampians Peaks Trail are a series of shelters designed by architecture studio Noxon Giffen and landscape firm McGregor Coxall. The studios delved deeply into the landscape’s context to create a connection between the architecture and the hikers who would encounter them.
The shelters function as tent platforms, toilets, and communal rest areas, constructed with rudimentary materials such as metal, stone, weathered timber, or bushfire-charred wood. Each of them respond to the surrounding nature, embracing the specific colors, textures, and atmosphere of their particular campsite.
The refuges are introduced by a breezeway and adjacent outer decks, which segue into a covered area for rest and communal activities. Timber battens support the weatherproof plastic wrapped around the structure, its translucent quality providing both light and protection from the elements.
The cabins tread lightly on the land to minimise their environmental impact and provide clear sightlines across the forest, ensuring unobstructed views of the natural landscape from various vantage points.
Photography © Shannon McGrath