Budget Breakdown: A Garden Shed for $43K? It’s Not Meant for Storing Tools
In the Czech Republic, some keep huts outside the city to tend plots of land. A Prague couple replaced theirs with one they could sleep in.
In the Czech Republic, some keep huts outside the city to tend plots of land. A Prague couple replaced theirs with one they could sleep in.
In an outlying district of Prague, biology professors Adam Petrusek and Tereza Petruskova own a little more than an acre in their local garden colony. In the Czech Republic, these green settlements, which often feature a small cottage-like hut, have a tradition that dates back to the 19th century, where city dwellers escape the hustle and bustle to tend a garden.
The Czech Republic has a tradition of gardening colonies, where people have small plots with huts they can visit to escape the city. In Prague, biology professors Adam Petrusek and Tereza Petruskova commissioned local firm Byro Architects to replace their hut, building a circa 200-square-foot pavilion that joins a shed where the couple stores their tools.
Photo by Alex Shoots Buildings
The couple’s plot, which is more substantial than some, is a short, dreamy walk through the forest from their panelak, or apartment building. It’s home to mature trees, plants, and some food they grow, as well as an old hut for storing gardening equipment. But they wanted something slightly bigger that could accommodate a loft to sleep in. Mainly, they wanted a space that was a little more "user friendly" where they could take a break from gardening.
"One of the most important insights we got from Adam and Tereza is that although they wanted a hut, they didn’t want to spend time in one, they wanted to spend time in the garden," says Jan Holub, an extended family member and cofounder of Byro Architects, the local firm the couple called on to design the new hut. "The reason they have the garden is to be able to be outside, to spend time in nature."
The garden pavilion’s charred-wood exterior matches the color of traditional huts in the area.
Photo by Alex Shoots Buildings
Hinged coverings fold back to reveal a garage-style door fixed with polycarbonate panels.
Photo by Alex Shoots Buildings
See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: A Garden Shed for $43K? It’s Not Meant for Storing Tools
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