Hidden at the bottom of a London garden, this glowing shed by British studio Weston, Surman & Deane was designed as a writing retreat for an author (+ slideshow).
Weston, Surman & Dean was asked to build a studio that reflected the client's passion for children's literature and mythology, and responded by creating a whimsical cabin that features a back-lit facade.
The inner facade of the Writer's Shed is shingle-clad with a glazed sliding door that opens out to a covered veranda facing back towards the house. A cedar screen fronts the veranda and gaps between the narrow slats allow light to shine out at night.
The architects said that the wood was chosen for its reliance and sensitivity to ageing, "complimenting the role of the shed as a place of changing ideas and production."
Tucked away behind the cedar frame are logs to be used in the wood burning stove that heats the shed, which sits on concrete paving slabs and leans against the gable wall. Oiled chipboard bookcases for the writer's library fill the space around it and painted pine boards cover the floor.
A reclaimed sink with garden taps and a brass splash back sits on one of the shelves.
A large skylight in the asymmetric pitch roof above fills the workspace with natural light.
Weston, Surman & Deane, also known as WSD Architecture, was launched by three Royal College of Art architecture graduates after they completed their first project, the Royal College of Art Student Union Cafe.
The Writer's Shed is one of 24 projects shortlisted for the AJ Small Projects Award 2014. The winner will be announced next month.
Photography is by Wai Ming Ng.
Here's a project description from Weston, Surman & Deane:
Writer's Shed
WSD Architecture were commissioned by an author and illustrator to design & build a 'writer's shed'. Capitalising on their multi-disciplinary backgrounds WSD acted as designers, project managers, and lead contractors.
The design responds to the client's passion for children's literature and mythologies.The space is conceived 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.
Externally, the glowing cedar facade, shingle cladding, log store and chimney all play a part in creating this world. Inside, a large north-facing skylight floods the workspace with natural light. On the gable wall, a bookcase meanders around the wood burning stove, providing a centre piece for the client to store his library of books. Looking back out over the garden, the glazed sliding door gives onto a covered verandah – a space perfect to enjoy the very worst of the British weather.
In February 2014, Weston Surman & Deane were short-listed for the Architects' Journal Small Projects Competition 2014.
Budget: £31,000
Client: Private
Location: Hackney, London
Architects: Weston Surman & Deane Architecture Ltd.
Lead Contractors: Weston Surman & Deane Architecture Ltd.
