Studio Shed

Dutch practice LMNL office has designed a simple shed that doubles as a studio in a small town in Brabant, The Netherlands.

The project, called Studio Shed, is the firms’ second commission for the owners. In 2018 the firm designed the property's main house as well as the 4000 m2 garden.

The shed is a simple rectangular form of 7.7 by 13 meters. It anchors the garden while shielding it from the predominant southwest winds. The contemporary aesthetic recalls the design elements from the primary house, with each design decision carefully considered for function, simplicity, and adaptability.

The shed is made of prefabricated timber frame panels filled with Gutex wood-fibre insulation, providing a lightweight biobased vapor-permeable shell.
The cladding - both roof and facades - is made of bespoke colored clay tiles developed especially for the project by Petersen Tegl in Denmark. The shade was produced to respond to the bricks used on the main house, while giving the shed its own identity. The two end facades are clad with sustainably produced Accoya wood, pre-stained grey to prevent uneven ageing.

To provide connection to the landscape the architects installed sliding doors into a large opening on one side of the building. Hidden double garage doors make up the other main facade. A Paulownia tomentosa tree is set off by the earth-tone clay tiles.

Inside the shed is finished with whitewashed pine panels which were also used to make the kitchen and other built-in storage under the staircase.

Started in 2017, LMNL office [for architecture and landscape] is led by partners Robert van der Pol and Erica Chladová.

Other projects by the firm include a bespoke CLT house with the worlds first biobased vapor permeable CLT/thatch roof buildup, and a biobased sustainable renovation of a small 19th century house in Rotterdam.

Photography is by Loes van Duijvendijk.