Solarium built of sugar

A remarkable shedlike atmosphere by William Lamson built out of steel, glass and sugar. "Like a mountain chapel or Thoreau’s one-room cabin, Solarium references a tradition of isolated outposts designed for reflection," he says. "Each of the 162 panels is made of sugar cooked to different temperatures and then sealed between two panes of window glass. The space functions as both an experimental greenhouse, growing three species of miniature citrus trees, and a meditative environment... Set within the open the landscape, the house functions as a hybrid sanctuary at once evoking a plant conservatory, a chapel, and zen garden." Lots more photos at the link above.

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Shedworking merchandise

We're not turning into a shop, but here are a couple of interesting sheddish bits and bobs that have recently made their way to Shedworking HQ. First, the Motorshed t-shirt above, kindly donated to the cause by longtime supporter of this blog Mark Snelling. I've tried it on and I look quite good in it, even if I do say so myself. Snap one up for yourself at Old Guys Rule.

I also recently retoured Shaw's Corner, the National Trust property which as you all know also houses George Bernard Shaw's writing hut. They are now producing badges of the hut (not remarkable reproductions it has to be said and my photo isn't great to boot) for the pocket money price of 50p. Here's mine below.

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Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Memories of Henry Williamson's writing hut

A nice piece in the North Devon Journal about the sale of Henry 'Tarka the Otter' Williamson's writing hut includes comments from his son Rob about his memories of the hut. Here's a snippet:

"We would often be asked to go into the hut and listen to what he had been writing and as children we would be asked if it was okay. It was rather magical because he had such a wonderful reading voice. He could read most brilliantly and it was a privilege. Certainly we would be very willing to take somebody who might not give the best price but who would look after it as it is now. Henry’s legacy to the world are his books, not the hut. The hut is a fantastic place and has fantastic memories, but it’s his books that will stand the test of time."

The hut will be auctioned on May 23 and has been valued at £110,000.
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Khōra Architectural Dome

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is rapidly approaching (May 20-24) so today we start to flag up some of the shedworkingesque buildings to look out for if you visit.


Above (at Stand RHW2) is the rather impressive Khōra Architectural Dome, a steel and glass structure inspired by the Palm House at Kew Gardens from British designer Louis Calmels. It measures 5m in diameter and is 7m high. It has hardwood doors and windows and features curved glass panels in the domed roof.

Here's how Calmels describes it: "The name Khōra comes from ancient Greek. It is a philosophical term which refers to a space or interval between being and non-being. The glass dome is sympathetic to this concept. Plato described 'Khōra' as the image reflected in a mirror, held by the mirror but not retained. The glass dome defines its own space but allows the eye to cross its boundaries and observe the outside as if it were within. I feel my Dome reflects this ethereal imagery as it encapsulates a light, airy space which is beautiful and calming both in the day and at night.” So now you know.
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Homestead Timber Buildings - Manufacturers of Quality Timber Buildings

Egg-shaped beach huts

"Egg and ball-shaped beach huts have been put forward as possible designs for "storm-proof" huts in Dorset.Students at Arts University Bournemouth designed the huts for Studland Beach as part of a National Trust project."
More details at the BBC ----------------------------------------------------

Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here

Hexi-House

Due to come onto the market in summer next year, Hexi-House is a hexagonal pod building system which will be of interest to shedworkers, aimed squarely at the garden buildings market and specifically at those keen to invest in garden offices.

The pods come in kit form and are  around 5.3sqm, built from high performance composite boarding. But the other interesting element is that father and son team from Belfast Jim and Chris Rooney will run it as a social entrprise. Here's what they say: 

"The primary activity is a pod for private home use. The second activity, is to reinvest the profits attained from the primary activity to subsidize the cost of providing Hexi-House as a medium-term relief shelter for displaced victims from natural or social disasters."

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Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Shed of the Year - now a television series

Shed of the Year is coming to a small screen near you. Television property expert and small space enthusiast George Clarke, his master craftsman colleague William Hardie, architect Laura Clark and industrial designer Max McMurdo will be following the ‘Shed of the Year’ competition this year, investigating and assessing some of the 2000 entries from across the UK.
 
Over three shows George and his team will travel to standout entries shortlisted in various categories. 
The series will culminate in the three judges alongside Channel 4 viewers making the extremely tough decision on who is the overall winner of Shed of the Year 2014. 

Monday posts are sponsored by garden2office, the Swedish garden office specialists. Click here for more details.