The Enchanted Shed
THE ENCHANTED SHED
Sue Architekten
ARCHITECTS
Sue Architekten
PROJECT YEAR
2016
LOCATION
Wienerwald, Austria
PHOTOGRAPHS
Andreas Buchberger
AREA
30.0 sqm
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
DI Margarete Salzer, Vienna
Text description provided by architect.
How an old outbuilding became a writer's workshop, a garden for guests, and a paradise for children. The town workers wanted to tear down the black shed from 1934: they said it was drafty and run down by weather and worms.
But we liked this black outbuilding of the mansard-roofed house in the Vienna Woods that we had just radically but respectfully renovated.
The special appeal of this project lies in the rediscovery of these old outbuildings in the shadows of the Vienna Woods villas. In the 1930s, few people could afford a basement, let alone a garage. And so they built their own sheds to store wood, raise rabbits, or wash clothes, which were then hung to dry in the attic.
Over the last few decades, these structures have lost their original purpose, and many are falling apart, which is a real shame. Converted into cozy little corners, they become affordable and magical retreats for families and their guests.
We inserted a large pane of glass into the front wall of the penthouse floor and carefully insulated the trusses. The walls were paneled with gray varnished beech wood, and a raised section was upholstered so that the attic can also be used as an unusual guest room.
An elegant bronze hatch closes this enchanted place, from where you can see the squirrels playing in the treetops. The ground floor is still used to store garden tools, the lawnmower and fruit boxes, while the upstairs is comfortable and comfortable.
Spot lighting focuses the bronze at night, creating a warm light - even in the freezing winter, when the unheated room is used to cool down after a sauna session.
Attic ventilation is through an existing window and small air vents installed along the sides. We do not touch the roof, however, which is full of moss and we like that.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
From the outside you can still see and smell the moss covered roof and the old coal tar covered wood siding. Inside, however, a new cave is disguised, containing handmade spruce planks of a gray varnish and the bronze door. At night, a hidden light illuminating the bronze creates a cozy gloom.
