GET IT DONE
An industrial designer living in Cape Town who worked in the furniture and décor custom design and manufacturing industry for 15 years, Ryan Matchett decided it was time for a change and moved towards home renovations and building, where he says he had been occupied for the last six years.
With a keen interest in modular design, Matchett says he looked into container homes.“ Although we can build from any material and any size, they were not unique enough for the‘ off the shelf’ product that I wanted to develop. So, I chose the shepherd hut concept, which carries a little nostalgia and has a lot more quaint charm.
“ Whether it be one standalone unit or a number of them strategically placed together, with possible roofs built between them, it does not take many units to construct a full-size family home, similar to the way in which conventional container buildings are currently being built.”
To personalise the units even more, each one gets a name, and from then onwards, they are referred to by name. The unit in Swellendam featured here is named Nancy, he tells To Build.
Introducing Nancy
“ The site where Nancy now stands on Pachamama has heritage references dating back to the San people. Today, there are descendants who live and work in the area. The structure stands in the middle of an acacia forest surrounded by trees that will serve as a great wind break once the crops and animals begin to flourish,” says Matchett.
Does it have foundations … and did you need to submit plans to the relevant authority?
“ Nancy has wheels and can stand freely on them. But with this one being more of a permanent installation, it also stands on blocks in a similar way that a timber wendy house would do. The blocks assist with the longevity of the unit standing in one place and reduce any rocking motion that may occur if left in its mobile form.
“ Tiny homes can free stand, or if on an embankment, can be secured to poles or conventional brick and mortar columns.”
As a shepherd hut, traditionally built on cast iron wheels, it is not considered a permanent feature and therefore does not require plans. Even though they could be placed on blocks or poles, these are viewed as supports and not a structure – much like the wendy house in the garden.
This hut is semi-off-grid, having just a fresh water supply and a sewage outlet.“ These units are also designed to connect fully to the grid where they can draw power. The toilets can also be connected to the property’ s main sewer as required.”
The design can also be completely offgrid, harvest its own water, use renewable energy for electricity, and compost sewage. Water can be supplied through a grey water system.“ This is part of the custom design journey we take our clients down, where they decide how sophisticated they want their unique unit to be,” highlights Matchett.
www. tobuild. co. za | autumn 2026 39