The Zombie Cabin is a 12×36 (432 sq/ft) steel cabin on a five-acre property in the Chilcotin Valley, BC. It was built in our North Vancouver factory, trucked about 600 km north and bolted down on precast blocks. Steel shutters lock from the inside and the front deck lifts like a drawbridge, so the family can close it up tight and leave.
About the Zombie Cabin
A family in the Chilcotin Valley lost their old cabin to a forest fire in 2015. Their property is over an hour up into the mountains, vandals had already smashed the windows, and pack rats had moved into the insulation. They needed a new cabin that could survive all of it.
We called it the Zombie Cabin. Its exterior is 100% metal: corrugated and standing seam Corten steel that doesn’t burn. Because it was finished in the factory, there was very little building to do on the remote site.
Watch the Zombie Cabin
Exterior photo album
Click any photo to see it full size. The shutters and the drawbridge deck are shown open and closed.
Four problems this cabin had to solve
- Remote site. Building on site would have been slow and expensive, so we built it in the factory and trucked it in.
- Vandals. The shutters close and lock from inside, and the deck raises to cover the front, so the family can lock up and leave.
- Pack rats. With a steel exterior there’s no way in for them.
- Forest fire. Most of the trees on the property already burned, so a future fire should be a grass fire. It should roll past an all-steel building.
Interior photo album
Inside, the cabin is white shiplap, reclaimed barn wood and dark trim, with two big sliding glass doors to the view. Click any photo to see it full size, or open the interior album on its own page.
Living area and wood stove
Dining nook
A built-in bench wraps around a table on an old cast-iron sewing machine base. A sliding barn door made of reclaimed boards closes off the back of the cabin.
Kitchen
Bedroom and flex room
| Size | 12′ x 36′ (432 sq/ft) |
|---|---|
| Location | Chilcotin Valley, BC, about 600 km north of Vancouver and over an hour west of Williams Lake |
| Built | In our North Vancouver modular factory, to CSA A277 for factory-built buildings |
| Foundation | Precast concrete blocks, with the cabin bolted to the ground |
| Exterior | Corrugated and standing seam Corten steel siding. The cabin is 100% metal on the outside and doesn’t burn. |
| Security | Steel shutters on every window that lock from the inside, and a drawbridge-style deck that raises and locks |
| Layout | Main living room and kitchen, a flex room with a queen Murphy bed and couch, and a bedroom with a queen bed |
| Heat and cooking | Wood stove and a gas cooktop |
| Power | Solar panels on the front wall |
| Use | Four seasons |
Frequently asked questions
Can you build a cabin in a remote location?
Yes. The best way to save on a remote build is to not build remotely. This cabin was finished in our factory, trucked about 600 km north and set on precast blocks.
Will a steel cabin survive a forest fire?
Steel siding doesn’t burn, which is why we chose it for a property that already had a fire. No building is fireproof, so a fire plan for the site still matters.
How do you stop vandals and pack rats?
Every window has a steel shutter that locks from the inside. The deck raises and locks to cover the front. The steel shell leaves pack rats no way in.