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10 Small Structures That Whisper of Wonder
Stripped to their essence, these architectural outposts leave plenty of room for imagination
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located... More »
What is it about small buildings that can be so endearing? Is it the way they can encapsulate, to paraphrase William Blake, a universe in a grain of sand? Is it that devoid of only the most basic utility, they can be explorations of ideas beyond the need for "this and that"? Or is it that they can be wonderful laboratories to explore design ideas without budget worries?
My sense is that we love small buildings for all these reasons and more. So here are a few that I find especially endearing.
And by the way, in case you're interested, here's the full opening stanza from Blake's "Auguries of Innocence":
To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.
Seems to me that reading some of Blake's writings while enjoying these small wonders would make for a terrific day.
My sense is that we love small buildings for all these reasons and more. So here are a few that I find especially endearing.
And by the way, in case you're interested, here's the full opening stanza from Blake's "Auguries of Innocence":
To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.
Seems to me that reading some of Blake's writings while enjoying these small wonders would make for a terrific day.
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Like a Fay Jones chapel, this screened sleeping space celebrates its simple, wood-frame structure while it nestles itself in the woods. What a nice place to sleep in the outdoors when weather permits.
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by Deane Rykerson
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| Screened "away" rooms are perfect opportunities to create an opuscule — or small, endearing work — with style. Like an Asian teahouse, this screened room is a perfect place for reading a book, taking a nap or sipping some tea. |
by Bjon Pankratz
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How lucky these children are! They can get away from their parents without leaving home.
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| A small wonder can also be a full-size home, something that doesn't ramble on and use a lot of land. Perhaps just a few rooms — just enough and not too much space. |
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| A small home doesn't have to live small. Big features, like oversize doors, extend the space of the home to the size of the great outdoors. |
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| A small building type that's often overlooked is the outhouse. Though we don't have cause to build these anymore, these incredibly important and functional buildings ranged from the most simple to what could be quite elegant. Some of the best are to be found in Colonial Williamsburg, where the architecture of this kind of opuscule rivals that of some of the main houses. |
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Seems to me that a bath on its own out in the landscape could be quite nice. So let's bring back the outhouse, but make it more modern and with more amenities this time around.
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| A garden shed is one of those small buildings that really come in handy. It's a place to keep all those garden tools, to do potting and to get your hands dirty. This kind of opuscule doesn't have to be a traditional gable-roof shed. Try something more modern, open and cutting edge if you dare. |
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An outbuilding can hide in plain sight. Because this small wonder is set down from the ridge and covered with a green roof, you won't know it's here if you're not looking for it.
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| A small wonder doesn't have to be out in the woods and away from it all. Some of the best opuscules can be temporary tents erected on a rooftop. Providing a sense of shelter and place, this rooftop structure is at once private and connected to the world at large. |
Ideabook published on July 31, 2012.
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Thanks Bud!
marcie
http://custm.co/hz/26