Set on a remote mountain field overlooking the rugged landscape, the home serves as a vacation getaway, guesthouse, and showcase project for the designer, who also owns it. Yes, Jurjen van Hulzen found the 100-year-old original structure in very poor condition when he first found it, but he felt inspired by its use of vernacular materials. Seeing it in context spurred him to take on the project, envisioning all the things it could become.

“Concrete columns and steel beams were carrying a typical Ibizan ‘sabina beam’ roof,” says the firm. “A mix of the industrial structure combined with the rustic roof formed the concept for the rest of the design: an interesting play and contrast between rustic and industrial. That’s also how it’s got the name ‘Campo Loft,’ which basically means ‘industrial open living space on the field’.”

The architects preserved the traditional building structure to remain in character with typical Ibizan architecture, mixing modern and traditional materials throughout the renovation process. They laid concrete floors, added new chalk and mud plastered stone walls, and made use of “sabina beams” from trees that only grow on Ibiza. Steel accents, like those seen in the kitchen, bring in a modern element to contrast with the older surfaces.

The architects also had to bring in modern utilities like electricity, water, and sewage, but they did so with off-grid methods, using solar panels for hot water, floor heating, and electricity. The result is a self-sustainable home that feels fresh, luxe, and organic. Van Hulzen also designed a floor plan that incorporates a large open space on the south side of the building to take advantage of the views, connecting it to a generous private terrace. The bedrooms are tucked into the north corners to keep them naturally shady and cool.

The sun-dappled kitchen connects to a dining alcove illuminated by a skylight, and the bathroom features a free-standing bath with windows that can open to the living area to give bathers views of both the fireplace and the landscape beyond. Small touches like herringbone terra cotta tile floors root the home in visuals associated with its Spanish location.

The architects add: “To finish off the design, [we] have collaborated with [our] familiar project partners: 100-percent natural beds from Coco-mat, and all the furniture, lighting, curtains, and carpets are from their partner store The Modern in Amsterdam. The urban and rough steel kitchen island with marble top is from Eginstill, and the walls have been decorated with art from gallery Vroom & Varossieau. They’ve used the bath and sink from Not Only White, and the taps and shower are designed by Piet Boon from Cocoon.”

The dreamy mountain home certainly looks like the ultimate place to rest, recharge, and luxuriate in the essence of Ibiza.

The post 100-Year-Old Shed Transformed Into a Contemporary Ibiza Home first appeared on Dornob.

The first prototype appeared at the self build event Grand Designs Live London, and then the shed became available on a wide scale throughout the UK and Europe for £15,000. Consumers could choose from a variety of finishes, fittings, and extras like ambient LED lighting, underfloor heating, and built-in wall speakers. Though initially envisioned as a backyard studio, the Tetra Shed was large enough to be used as a detached guest suite, too. Free downloadable apps even allowed users to control the lighting and heating from their smartphones.

Well, RIP Tetra Shed, and long live the Tetra Hotel. Architect David Ajasa-Adekunle of Innovation Imperative recently announced that his original creation had “evolved” and would no longer be available for consumer purchase. Taking its place is an equally strange structure on a much more ambitious scale. It’s almost like the Tetra Shed started auto-reproducing itself and arranging its new, sleeker offspring into the cells of a larger organism.

These new pods are shaped more like diamonds, stretching multiple stories into the air side-by-side. Instead of a single floor with just a few square meters of living space, each pod contains four levels, consisting of a bathroom, an office, a living room, and a lofted bedroom. The interiors are sharply minimalist and lined in plywood. They’re windowless, making them feel a bit cavelike, though a triangular skylight tops each one to allow for the entrance of natural light by day and stargazing by night.

The architect hasn’t released many details about the project, but renderings appear to depict the rooms attached to spacious common areas inside faceted glass volumes of the same shape. Modular, portable, and apparently infinitely expandable, the hotel units come together to create a gaggle of ultra-private suites that can be placed virtually anywhere in the world, including the shores of remote mountain lakes with views of snow-capped peaks.

Considering that portable modular hotels are already in place in some remote locations (i.e. glass geodesic domes throughout the Arctic Circle), it seems like the Tetra Hotel has a good chance of becoming a physical reality. Its creators have already proven that they’re capable of following through on a cool-looking concept like the Tetra Shed, which came as a kit of lightweight handleable panels designed primarily for self-assembly.

Some people might find the Tetra Hotel’s design a bit dystopian — especially the way the solid black shapes loom over the landscape on narrow supports resembling feet. But this design gives the hotel a light footprint on its chosen setting, which is a must in sensitive environments. Likely to appeal to adventurers with an appreciation for futuristic design, the Tetra Hotel definitely offers some outside-the-box accommodations.

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Though the house’s circular front door, gorgeous wooden hand-carved artifacts, and overall magical feel are certainly reminiscent of Bilbo’s on-screen abode, owner Stuart Grant explains that he had never seen any of the iconic films when he began building it: “I had not seen the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit films before I started my project. Those came later. But I’m not aware of them knowing about my house either. It’s all coincidental.”

In fact, the 84-year-old Grant started building his home all the way back in 1984. He had been living in Australia for some time but decided to move back to his native Scotland following a divorce and the onset of a degenerative neuro-immune disease called myalgic encephalomyelitis. He was also broke during this period, stating, “I was living rough. I had a 100 watt bulb, two wooden stools, a camp bed and a gas ring.”

At first, Grant intended to live in a cottage quite close to his Hobbit House’s current location. Instead, he decided to move into that cottage’s shed, which had previously housed a pig, cow, calf, donkey, and even a few chickens. He explains, “It was full of other people’s junk, tools, cement mixers and such like. But it had four walls and a better view than the house so I put a new roof on it.”

That roof is now teeming with vibrant moss, and the walls beneath it have been clad in ivy. In keeping with this natural aesthetic, the home’s circular door has been flanked by a pair of gnarled and twisted tree branches. Inside, you’ll find some intricately painted china, mullioned windows, colorful crocheted quilts, and tables made from the cross sections of tree trunks — all the hallmarks of a fairytale home.

The Hobbit House’s practical use of space only adds to its magical appeal. In the bathroom, you’ll find a washing machine hidden in a nook next to the toilet, which boasts a beautiful design in and of itself. The entire toilet has been encased in wood, and its seat is made from a rough-hewn section of tree trunk. Not a bad place to perch off of when you’re throwing a load of laundry in the washer!

In the yard, you’ll find a greenhouse and a pretty garden with its own pond. Kahlum G, Grant’s nephew and the person who first shared pictures of the house online, claims that his uncle loves receiving guests. That’s good news for anyone who might want to see this 21st-century version of “Bag End” in the flesh.

Grant describes himself as “the luckiest man alive,” and says, “I live in a stunning part of the world, I have a home that looks like the home I had dreamed about and I get by. The fact that even my door looks like the Hobbit doors in the films is… well it is very strange, isn’t it?”

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This sculptural building is known as the Shoffice – a combination of the words shed and office. When a client requested a backyard workspace and storage area, architects Platform 5 created this lovely graceful building.

Looking a bit like a giant sculpture, the Shoffice takes on an organic shell shape. It flows from the ground, up and over the backyard, and around again to the ground. The Shoffice’s elliptical wooden shell looks a bit like a curled wood shaving peacefully resting on the ground. The glazed glass office space is protected within its curved embrace.

The office part of the structure is composed of glass walls that make it visible from the main home and from the rest of the yard. Two skylights – one in the office and another in the storage area – provide natural light to work by.

Inside, a cantilevered desk and a small storage area are all that adorn the Shoffice backyard office. It’s a simple, clutter-free workspace perfect for anyone who works from home – or just needs a little escape.

“Shoffice (shed + office) is a garden pavilion containing a small office alongside garden storage space. Located to the rear of a 1950’s terraced house in St John’s Wood, the brief required the shoffice to be conceived of as a sculptural organically object that flowed into the garden space. The glazed office space nestles into an extruded timber elliptical shell, reminiscent of a wood shaving that unfurls to form a small terrace in the lawn. The interior is oak lined and fitted out with a cantilevered desk and storage. Two rooflights – one glazed above the desk with another open to the sky outside the office bring light into the work space. The project was a close collaboration between Architect, Structural Engineer and Contractor. “

About Platform 5 Architects: “Platform 5 Architects is an award winning architectural practice led by Patrick Michell with a diverse portfolio of projects in the residential, commercial, education and cultural sectors. Since our inception in 2006, we have built a reputation on the quality of our design and level of service to our clients. We have been featured in the Architecture Foundation’s ‘New Architects 3’ book, a survey of the best emerging practices of the last 10 years and in 2009, Wallpaper* magazine selected us for their Architects Directory, showcasing 30 of the world’s most talented young architectural practices. “

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A relaxing getaway conducive to creative thinking is just steps from an author’s back door with this lantern-like design tucked away in a fenced London garden. Designed by British studio Surman & Deane, ‘Writer’s Shed’ feels simultaneously cozy and wide-open thanks to its small footprint, wood stove, and glazed front wall slightly shaded by a vertical cedar screen.

The architects responded to the author’s interest in children’s literature and mythologies by creating a space that acts as “a haven in the city; a fairy-tale hut at the bottom of the garden where the client can retreat and immerse himself in his work.”

It may be accurate to call it a shed based on its size, but it’s not lacking in comfort and amenities. One wall is entirely covered in bookshelves, and a vintage desk is tucked into one corner. The interior is painted white to reflect all of the daylight that comes streaming in through the large north-facing skylight. A glazed sliding door leads out into the garden.

Cedar was chosen for the natural aging process it goes through as it’s exposed to the weather, deepening its beauty. The chimney, vertical log storage on the small veranda and cedar shingles give the mini retreat the feel of a woodland cabin.

Here’s a description from the firm:

“Weston Surman & Deane Architecture were commissioned by an author and illustrator to design and build a studio space in Hackney, East London. The design sought to satisfy the client’s need for a functional workspace, but moreover to create a building that reflected his passion for children’s literature and mythologies. Drawing on the historically intimate relationship between writers and their shed’s, the space was conceived as a haven in the city; a fairy-tale hut at the bottom of the garden where the client could retreat and immerse himself in his work.”

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An impossibly tiny garden outbuilding is the setting for an amazing story of furniture that becomes an entire functional interior. In a French back yard, a garden shed with only 12 square meters (about 39 square feet) of space was transformed into a sort of home away from home for a teenager.

The teen’s family wanted to give him a place of his own, so h2o Architects stepped in to develop this unique solution. Using silver birch plywood, they created an interior that is composed entirely of functional furniture.

There are four distinct zones in the tiny home: living, washing, studying and sleeping. Each has its own level, and there are storage areas interspersed throughout. There is no designated meal area because the teen resident eats with his family in the main house.

The finished project, called Chatou by the architects, is a rather stunning abode that looks much larger than it really is. The creative solution to a very small space just goes to show that a little ingenuity is all you need to create an interior that perfectly serves your needs. In this case, simple plywood and plenty of built-in furniture solves the space issue brilliantly.

“The agency was commissioned to rethink a garden pavilion and to transform it into a young bachelor’s patch. To maximize the spatial possibilities of a relatively small home, we decided to change the perspective and instead of trying to fit furniture into the pavilion, we tried to transform the pavilion into a piece of furniture! This instantly lifted all the problems one is confronted with when trying to rehabilitate such a small space.”

“To create a house-like piece of furniture is a real solution to storage problems. The furniture itself architecturally defines the spatial boundaries. Thanks to 3D computer work, the agency was able to build a great thick unit reaching three-quarters of the height of the pavilion in which are included shelving, storage, a living room, a toilet unit, a work-space and a bed. This solution coupled with a treatment of space in half-levels liberates new surprising surfaces for the living-room and the work-space.”

“With renewed pleasure at newly-found comfort, the owner of the pavilion will be able to access the three levels of storage and find on his way up different possibilities for a useful stop (to wash, to work, to sleep…). To emphasize the idea of a single piece of furniture, the unit is treated with a single and unique material: birch plywood. From the outside, nothing can be guessed of the spatial surprises inside!”

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As more and more people opt to work from home, more and more people are discovering just how difficult it is to separate their personal life from work life. The solution? A dedicated home office space in the backyard, preferably one detached from the main house. The Tetra Shed from Innovation Imperative is a particularly attractive example.

The Tetra Shed was meant to challenge the idea that a home office has to be a room in the home that has simply been turned into a home office. Why not turn the notion on its head by creating something altogether more interesting – a space where you will actually want to spend time?

As a single unit, the Tetra Shed is just big enough for one or two people. But the units are modular and can be connected to form spaces as big as one’s imagination. These can be used for learning, guest accommodations, play, retail, or nearly anything else imaginable.

Engineered timber, matte black rubber and birch faced plywood are the simple, back-to-basics materials used to create these visually fascinating modules. Closed up in a backyard on a dark night, a single Tetra Shed looks rather like a large, dark boulder.

In the light of day, though, when the windows are opened up and sunlight pours in, the space is light and airy…and surprisingly roomier than it looks. It isn’t an executive office, but it is much larger than the cubicles many of us spend our days in.

The brilliantly minimalist sheds do not come with a minimal price tag, unfortunately. Innovation Imperative expects to charge an average pf £15,000 (around $24,000) for each unit. “Prices start from as little as £6,950 for an unfurnished unit, softwood internal finish, skylight and clad in plywood for self finishing. All standard fitout options are supplied with an internal cavity (to run cables, fit sockets/switches, recessed led lighting and built in speakers) concealed behind an internal lining of your choice. The softwood internal finish option is not supplied with a cavity and separate internal lining.”

The post Boulder-Like Home Office is a Working Retreat in the Garden first appeared on Dornob.

Originally a coach-building workshop, later a studio for local artists and now a small and simple single-family house, a basic brick shell in Sydney has adapted to all kinds of uses over time. This shed converted into a home shows off the potential of a ragged-looking structure if you have the initiative to transform it.

It is not hard to see how the 200-year-old building fell into relative disrepair and ended up for sale on the open market a few years back – but its owners-to-be had their eye out for just such a blank-slate opportunity.

Working with Richard Peters Associates (photos by Justin Alexander), they set about making good use of what was already there – four solid walls with thermal mass and openings for cross-breezes (together requiring no active heating or cooling).

The infill was done not with self-conscious modesty or faux simplicity, just practical and clean additions to reflect the difference between old and new and serve fresh functions for its now-and-future occupants.

“Tucked away at the end of a lane in the Sydney suburb of Randwick, close to The Spot and in walking distance to Coogee beach, is a 74 sqm simple brick industrial structure built in 1890 by two Irish blacksmiths (brothers) to house their coach building business.”

“Over the past 120 years the building has also operated as a motorcycle repair shop, secondhand washing machine warehouse, a builder’s workshop, and more recently a studio for local artists. Having grown up in the area, one of the owners knew the building well and when it came up for sale in 2003, took a leap of faith and invested in a project that presented an exciting opportunity to develop a smaller, sustainable and more efficient way to live, while challenging the convention that ʻbigger is betterʼ.”

“The project responds to the city’s growing need for adaptive reuse, meets the constraints of a limited budget and addresses the long term needs of owners who wanted a home that would reduce the use of traditional (costly/polluting) energy requirements – all without compromising the level of amenity or comfort, in fact improving it, while maximizing privacy and renewing/greening a forgotten lane way.”

The post Before & After: 200 Year Old Shed Converted into a Spacious Home in Sydney first appeared on Dornob.

Set near the snow-prone Sugar Bowl ski resort near Lake Tahoe, this house has to content with snow loads that come with nearly ten feet of pack at a time.

The resulting design is definitely modern, but it recalls railroad avalanche sheds of times passed with a roof tilt designed to shed excessive weight after heavy snows (depositing excess, in this case, behind the home so as not to endanger people entering or exiting or block key doors).

The entire residence is raised up on a concrete plinth to keep it accessible even during deep-snowing winters. The cedar-enclosed first story is wrapped in bright warm wood, enclosing entry, boot, guest and children’s rooms as well as support spaces.

Lower-level windows frame lovely landscape views like pictures, while the second story (containing master bedroom and living room areas) provides all-around lookouts toward the surrounding forest and mountains and features additional woods including walnut and fir.

Not quite minimalist nor really rustic, crisp engineered lines and clean architectural details are found throughout, contrasting nicely with the organic landscapes that stand out on all sides. Design by John Maniscalco Architecture and photography by Matthew Millman.

The post Winter Home Roof Sloped for Snow Like an Avalanche Shed first appeared on Dornob.

This is one of those shelter design ideas that sounded good in theory and problematic in practice. Few such projects become a reality, making this timber-framed retreat a rare (but hopefully safe) exception … so far, so good, as it does not appear to have burned down (yet).

The concept itself is very cool – or rather, hot … then warm … then cold? A metal frame wraps all four sides of the structure, with slots to fit felled lumber to be used as fuel for a central fireplace. An open void in the top lets out excess smoke, as do the natural openings between pieces of wood tucked into the walls.

One would think that the whole place could catch fire, but apparently there is enough distance within the dwelling (and between it and other structures) to make it work. As the winter wanes, so does the supply of burnable logs – the walls slowly open up and let in more light, reducing the protection needed in otherwise cold Canadian climates.

By the time summer comes, this little architectural abode by Noa Biran & Roy Talman (images by Henk Von Pickartz, Brian Gould, Peter Hargraves, Dave Pancoe and Dan Harper) will be an open air, slightly-sheltered summer pavilion until the next fall rolls around and new log piles are made going into the winter. (via ArchDaily)

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There was a time when ‘rustic cabin’ meant ‘cheap vacation’ – but a true retreat in this day and age is, for many of us, finding elegance in natural simplicity and luxury in rural solitude. One company has made a mission of catering to precisely those people who want to escape stressful city living and be alone somewhere in the woods of a modern-day Walden at the drop of a hat (or at least the lowering of a crane).

However, there is more than the Swedish firm Arvesund than simply escapism: they have developed a line of prefabricated barns and sheds that work for anything from the most traditional purposes (backyard storage spaces, hunting cabins or workshops) to creative contemporary uses (small garden studios, guest quarters or even second homes).

Each smaller shed or full-sized barn structure can be ordered fully-equipped with furniture, furnishings and fixtures or stripped bare and devoid of even insulation and finish materials, having only essential structural members, walls, doors and windows. Some of them also incorporate pieces of old recycled barns, including heavy timber elements and suitably rustic+modern table-and-chair sets. These ‘barn home’ layouts refer strongly to classic farmstead typologies but the plans are suited to contemporary living.

The current crown jewel of Arvesund design is the Hermit’s Cabin (shown at the top), a prefabricated cabin structure “for all times of the year” and “that can be placed … anywhere. On the mountain, in the field, in the forest, or in your garden.” They come equipped with as many options as a motorhome: wood-burning stuff, custom-designed furniture and surfaces that fit the ‘rustic chic’ aesthetic.

There is no doubt that the small-home and rural-retreat movement is picking up momentum, but with so many designers looking toward the future few have taken such an intelligent view on the past. These structures have learned and applied lessons from simplicity of style and construction, turned them around and popularized them in a way that is both old and new at the same time.

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