WORKING LIFE

ONCE RELEGATED TO HOUSE TRACTORS AND TOOLS, THE SIMPLE FARM SHED IS NOW INSPIRING ARCHITECTS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

We look at how the simple farm shed has inspired these beautiful contemporary buildings.

Ready to go

With a large deck and sliding doors, this prefabricated building — called the Yō no Ie House or Plain House — seamlessly connects the indoors with the outdoors. The flat-pack, one-bedroom, one-bathroom house was designed by Japanese homewares company Muji. It comes with a conversation pit — the ideal spot to share a meal and enjoy some fresh air. The pale Japanese cedar walls and floors means it blends into its surroundings. Currently unavailable in Australia, we have our fingers crossed they can be purchased here soon but in the meantime it provides great inspiration. muji.com

Connected to nature

Located at Denison Rivulet near Bicheno on Tasmania’s beautiful East Coast are these cabins designed by Taylor & Hinds Architects. A modern take on the shacks so loved by Tasmanians, these buildings are a finely crafted and polished version of those original rough structures. For details on how to book, visit rentseastacks.com.au/sea-stacks-east-coast-tasmania. Taylor & Hinds Architects, 247 Elizabeth Street, Hobart, Tasmania, (03) 6287 7024, taylorandhinds.com.au

Powerful design

Built with specific purposes in mind, one half of this shed located on a 121.5-hectare property in Victoria’s Nulla Vale, an hour north of Melbourne, was kept open to store firewood and provide shelter for the owners’ dog. The other half is enclosed for keeping farm equipment and the solar battery secure. “The shed and house are entirely off-grid,” explains Antony Martin of MRTN Architects, who designed the shed. “The slope of the roof was determined to maximise solar orientation in winter when sunlight hours are less and the sun is at a lower angle in the sky than in summer.” A galvanised steel frame clad in heritage-grade galvanised corrugated steel ensures it will stand the test of time. MRTN Architects, 334 Victoria Street, Brunswick, Victoria, (03) 8548 4638, 0409 407 673, mrtn.com.au

Writer’s retreat

Located in the corner of the garden where two boundary fences meet, this shed is where the owner, a writer and children’s television producer, does her best work. Having decided against a study in her home, she hired Matt Gibson Architecture and Design to create a shed with desk space, natural light and a garden outlook.

“It helps me mentally disengage from ‘home’… literally being in the garden, it gives me a genuine sense of peace, security and calmness that I cannot get in any other work environment,” she says. Camouflaged by vines, the brick shed blends into the garden, which was designed by Ben Scott Garden Design; the large window is the only thing that gives it away. Matt Gibson Architecture & Design, 29 Derby Street, Collingwood, Victoria, (03) 9419 6677, mattgibson.com.au Ben Scott Garden Design, 26 Liddiard Street, Hawthorn, Victoria, (03) 9819 6566, benscott.com.au

Bush hideaway

Surrounded by dense gum forest, this one-bedroom cabin on Bruny Island in Tasmania is a place where the owner comes to get away from it all. It is completely off the grid: rainwater is collected, electricity is solar-powered, a wood-fire oven warms the hideaway and bottled gas runs the cooktop and hot water. Hugh Maguire of Maguire and Devine Architects says of the design, “Our brief was to design a building as a piece of furniture with everything needed built in. The only furniture allowed was a low table and mattress on the sleeping loft.” It also has bushfire-resistant timber and Zincalume metal cladding. Maguire and Devine Architects, 176 New Town Road, Hobart, Tasmania, (03) 6292 0911, 0438 312 558, maguiredevine.com.au

Hard act to follow

Made from cement, metal and exposed timber beams, this imposing shed was designed by architects Room 11 and built by South East Building. A floor to ceiling sheet of glass breaks up the cement and provides natural light in the otherwise windowless workspace. Room 11, 358B Macquarie Street, South Hobart, Tasmania, (03) 6224 8642, room11.com.au South East Building, 0418 990 607, 0425 711 423, southeastbuilding.com.au

This flat-pack house is made from Japanese cedar and opens out onto a large deck.

The shed at Nulla Vale in Victoria is only a short walk from the main house and contains a solar battery, which stores power generated from the panels on the roof. FACING PAGE This writer’s shed blends in with the garden.

Surrounded by dense bush, this cement and steel shed is an imposing structure. BOTTOM RIGHT The wheels on this work table means that it’s easy to reconfigure the space as needed. BOTTOM LEFT Ageing metal on the exterior adds a rustic touch and mirrors the natural colours of the area.