Built off the grid.
Uncharted Builds started with a piece of land nobody wanted — and a decision to build something real.
— The Builder
Michael Bautista
Founder & Builder
Michael grew up in New York City, the son of a carpenter and a woman who kept a serious garden. He spent his twenties in construction management — big crews, tight deadlines, buildings that were finished but never felt finished.
At 39, he bought 40 acres in Tennessee and walked away from the industry. He's been building off-grid ever since — slowly, deliberately, and almost always alone.
He doesn't have a social media presence worth mentioning. He has seven structures standing in four states, and a waiting list of people who want to sleep in them.
7+
Structures
4
States
40ac
Land
Michael Bautista
Founder & Builder
— What I Believe
The principles behind every build.
Slow is fast
A joint cut right the first time doesn't need to be recut. We don't rush. We also don't redo.
The land comes first
We walk a site for weeks before we break ground. The structure should feel inevitable — like it was always going to be there.
Off-grid is a commitment, not a feature
Solar panels and composting toilets aren't selling points. They're the baseline. Every system is designed to work without a grid connection, indefinitely.
Honest materials
Wood, stone, iron. Nothing that needs to be replaced in ten years. Nothing that looks like something it isn't.
— The Builds So Far
Seven structures. Four states. Zero regrets.
2019
The Tennessee Land
40 acres purchased. First structure built and torn down. Second structure still standing.
2020
The Ridge Cabin
First proper build. Timber frame, solar, spring water. Took 14 weeks. Still the one people ask about most.
2021
Two More in Appalachia
Refined the timber frame method. Experimented with cob walls. One worked. One didn't. Both taught us something.
2022
First Rental
The Ridge Cabin opened for stays. Booked out the first season in three weeks.
2023–24
The Hollow & The Canopy
Expanded to North Carolina and the Pacific Northwest. Bigger builds, more complex systems, better results.
2025
What's Next
Two more sites under consideration. One in the Ozarks. One we're not ready to talk about yet.
Come see what we're building.
The builds are real. The rentals are open. The waitlist for the next ones is already forming.