Profile
Type
Residential
Location
Red Hill, Victoria, Australia
Traditional Owners
Bunurong
Completed
2020
Project Description
A one-and-a-half-hour drive from Melbourne, the owner of the ‘Über Shed’ was simply looking for a much larger shed. There wasn’t sufficient room or height clearance in the existing shed for his classic 1950s Airstream bus, vintage cars, motorbikes, or other vintage memorabilia. The rudimentary kit-style shed on the property simply wasn’t large enough.
While the owner could not see any other way than to demolish the virtually new shed and start again, we saw how the cobalt-blue shed could be repurposed and form part of a new, larger building. To tie the two sheds together, timber battens wrap around both structures, concealing the existing water tank. To allow the vintage bus to be stored, the original shed was lightly modified, creating a new clearance height. Storage areas were also expanded, as were the ancillary spaces, including a separate pool room and a retreat. Dark and moody, the retreat includes taxidermy displayed on blackened plywood walls.
The new shed, oriented to the north-west and benefiting from floor-to-ceiling glazing and a raked ceiling, offers views over a sculpture garden and valley. To allow the owner to enjoy his unique collection, the north-west corner of the shed features an entertainment area defined by recycled parquetry floors and an open fireplace. While the focus in winter is towards the open fireplace, in the summer months there’s an outdoor bath perched on a new deck, allowing appreciation of the idyllic bush setting.
This brief was initiated after the owner came across our original Über Shed at Main Ridge, not far from this site. While that was only one room, it seemed to express what could be achieved in a rustic setting, challenging the notion of what a shed can be. This Über Shed 2 is considerably more complex, with shelving and storage conceived for an extensive and diverse collection of items, from vintage cars and toys to farm equipment. There’s even a billy cart in the mix. So, it was paramount not only to find a ‘home’ for each item, irrespective of scale, but also to make the two sheds appear to be one entity. While it may have required less thought to dispense with the original shed and start afresh, it was far more sensible to salvage what was already there—a shed only a few years old that will last for decades to come.