Running head: PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 1

Proposed Design of a Garden Shed

Name

Institutional Affiliation
 PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 2

Table of content
Executive Summary.................................................................................................................3
Introduction..............................................................................................................................3
Scope of Work....................................................................................................................................3
Objectives..........................................................................................................................................4
Site Location......................................................................................................................................4
Brief Analysis............................................................................................................................4
Client Analysis...................................................................................................................................4
Site Analysis......................................................................................................................................5
Climate..........................................................................................................................................5
Wind..............................................................................................................................................6
Soil.................................................................................................................................................7
Infrastructure facilities..................................................................................................................7
Locally available resources...........................................................................................................7
Material Requirements..................................................................................................................7
Structural Material Options....................................................................................................8
Frame................................................................................................................................................8
Walls..................................................................................................................................................8
Roof...................................................................................................................................................8
Flooring.............................................................................................................................................9
Doors.................................................................................................................................................9
Additional Recommended Options.......................................................................................10
Straw bale construction...................................................................................................................10
Garden shed special treatments.......................................................................................................10
Drawings.................................................................................................................................11
Floor plan........................................................................................................................................11
Elevations........................................................................................................................................12
Front Elevation................................................................................................................................12
Section.............................................................................................................................................13
3D Impression.................................................................................................................................14
Conclusion...............................................................................................................................15
Recommendations..................................................................................................................16
References...............................................................................................................................18
 PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 3

Executive Summary

Construction ecology applies the principles of sustainability to achieve a zero net

energy home that is durable and has a high indoor air quality. To achieve a sustainable

design, it is important to consider the choice of material to be used in construction, human

resources and the site plays a very important role in making the project a success.

The project proposal to be carried out is the construction of a garden shed for a family

in Barrington, where the climate is cold almost throughout the year. The project brief

includes a glass house, cool room, and preparation and storage area where produce harvested

from the glass house will be cleaned, cut, and stored. Perishable vegetables will be stored in

the cool room. Materials to be used for construction are lightweight and eco-friendly. This

will include mainly hardwood, timber, glass, and cedar shingles for the roof. The construction

cost is meant to be affordable and our main object is that it will be able to serve its purpose.

Introduction

Scope of Work
As a student in university taking construction related course, I was approached by Rosemary

to help her propose on an aesthetically pleasing and functional garden shed in his property in

Barrington. The size of the design is preliminary planned to be approximately 24 feet by 18

feet. According to the client’s requirement, the garden shed will house a number of spaces,

which include a glass house where Rosemary can grow edible plants since the temperature in

Barrington is cold and the plants need a warm effect of the green house to grow healthy.

Other spaces will include a simple preparation space and cool rooms where the fresh food can

be cleaned, cut, and stored since the produce are mainly perishable. A small area should also

be cleared to include a patio that can be included as part of the project. The garden shed will
 PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 4

be supplied with electricity from the 4-bedroom straw bale home and the structure must be

constructed according to the Australian codes and guideline.

Objectives
 The main goal of this eco-shed design is to strike a balance between cost effectiveness

and eco friendliness.

 Design and build the garden shed using ecofriendly building materials that have no or

minimal effect to the environment and the building inhabitants.

 Design functional and secure spaces that will require enough storage for tools,

produce; and cold frames.

 Hope that the garden shed will provide a future reference for an ideal requirement and

design of green building on a smaller scale.

Site Location
Choosing a perfect site location for our garden shed is a very important factor to be

considered. In our case, the shed will be built on a rural block of land in the town of

Barrington.

Brief Analysis

Client Analysis
The most important aspect of building design is the trust between the client and the architect.

Without trust in a building project, there will be huge losses incurred that might lead to the

incompletion of the project. However, in my case, the client is friendly and open on what she

really wants. Her illustrations and requirements are very clear. Since Rosemary is a gardener,

she wants a modern garden shed that will house her garden tools, glass house, and a cold

room. The client has enough budgets for the project and as the designer; it gives me freedom
 PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 5

to explore on the quality of finishes and the level of details of the shed design since there is

no budget restriction.

Site Analysis
For the proposed design to be successful, it is important to carry out a site analysis. This

involves taking an inventory of the elements on site and analyzing them relative to the

client’s needs. Information gathered on the site properties includes topography, climate, and

vegetation. These elements are then analyzed and incorporated into the design.

Climate

A graph showing Barrington rainfall and temperature throughout the year

Source:[ CITATION Gre08 \l 1033 ]

The type of climate experienced in Barrington is cold and temperate. This means that the

place receives reliable rainfall all year round. According to Koppen, this kind of climate is

referred to as Dfb, which is humid continental climate[ CITATION Gre08 \l 1033 ]. The average

rainfall and temperature in Barrington is 1123mm and 7.6 degrees Celsius

 PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 6

respectively[ CITATION Gre08 \l 1033 ]. With this type of climate, it will be worth it to use the

roof for harvesting the rainwater to be used in the cleaning room for washing the produce. A

water butt will be installed to help in this process.

Wind

A chart showing Barrington wind rose

Source: [ CITATION Gre08 \l 1033 ]

Barrington wind rose shows the number of hours wind blows per year from a certain

direction. An example is South West. Wind blowing from SW to NE. The southern part of

land mainly points to South America, which has strong winds coming from the west, which

makes it difficult to sail East to West[ CITATION Gre08 \l 1033 ]. This information plays a very

important role on the orientation of the shed how the shed to optimize on the design.
 PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 7

Soil
The type of soil below the foundation always determines the stability of the structure. Most

part of Barrington is made up of deep, moderate, and well-drained soil formed in water laid

silty material and underneath calcareous loam outwash, that is stratified[ CITATION Gre08 \l

1033 ]. With this type of soil, it is appropriate to use strip foundation and the depth of the

foundation to be determined on site.

Infrastructure facilities

Other services to be considered on site is the water supply, waste disposal, electricity supply,

and drainage connection are very important factors to be considered during planning the

zoning.

Locally available resources

The available material on site include timber and straw bale. This means the cost of

transportation will greatly be reduced. The extra straw of bale used in construction the 4

bedroom can be used if there is need to explore their usability in the shed construction.

Material Requirements

The garden shed will be made of mainly hardwood timber. There will be square or

rectangular prefabricated wood panels that can be joined using bolts. The roof material will

be waterproof cedar shingles. Alternatively, the roofing felt can be used. Shingle tiles are also

eco-friendly to the environment and can be incorporated into the roof.

 
 PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 8

Structural Material Options

Frame
To build the frames, we need pallets, nail guns, nails, tape measure, and a circular saw. In

most cases, lightweight construction is the most appropriate for garden shed

construction[ CITATION Hal08 \l 1033 ]. To frame the floor we need to lay two pallets on the

ground. The wall will be framed using the wood to get the skeleton of the garden shade. Wall

framing will then help to support the frame of the roof truss since the roofing material have to

be laid on the roofing frame to achieve the desired outcome. Wood frame will be appropriate

for the truss structure and adding wood slate to the frame to be able to support the roofing

material.

Walls
The preferred material for wall construction will be square timber panel because of its

environmental benefits. Timber are from a renewable source, sustainably sourced, non-toxic

during its use, is low in embodied carbon, thermal bridging, low waste rates, appropriate for

life span, flexible and adaptable. The timber panels will be lime rendered in white to help in

reflecting any excess heat from the sunrays. From a sustainable point of view, timber is a

renewable building material able to absorb carbon from the atmosphere, and this makes it

able to sustain the life of the building[ CITATION Has08 \l 1033 ]. However, timber used should

be treated from termites and since the temperature in Barrington is cold, the timber used

should be free from moulds and any kind of rot.

Roof
It is important to consider the right roofing material for roofing shed considering that

Barrington receives heavy rainfall all year round. The first consideration should be a material

that is waterproof, environmental friendly, affordable, pleasant, and durable. The best

material to be used in roofing the shed is cedar shingles made from pine, cedar, redwood, or

the western red cedar[ CITATION Kib16 \l 1033 ]. However, it is important to note that roof
 PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 9

shingles are not fire resistance and should be treated with flame retardant to prevent any form

of fire accident. On the other side, wood shingles are visually appealing, high degree of

thermal insulation, have low carbon footprint, and are made from a natural source that is

renewable[ CITATION Kim10 \l 1033 ]. To install the cedar shingles, we shall first have the

roofing felt lying on the rafters to achieve the desired quality finish. The attic space will also

be high to give more space for air circulation that can result into the stack effect in the room.

Flooring
Getting the right floor material for the garden shed is very important, considering that the

floor will have to handle water; it is therefore advisable to use a waterproof material. The

proposed material for the floor is wood parquet; however, it should be treated to prevent the

floor system from root to make it durable. Treating the floor system to being waterproof

should start from the floor framing system including the outdoor deck. The best approach is

to use the treated lumber floor joist that is raised 6 inches off the ground[ CITATION Mad13 \l

1033 ]. This helps to keep away animals such as the mice. The wood parquet can be improved

by applying 3 coats of polyurathane clear lacquer vanish to make the material aesthetically

pleasing and adding to its property of being waterproof.

Doors
Doors will definitely require lintels. The best-engineered timber solutions will use

laminating, gluing, and jointing techniques to increase the tensile and compressive strength of

the grades of the timber on the lower side and overcome natural weaknesses such as warping,

bowing, and splitting (Matthews et al., 2014). The materials to be used include plywood, and

glass. It is important to take care of these materials internally in order to ensure that they

have no adhesive that can interfere with the indoor air quality. The cool room will have

insulated panic doors to maintain the low temperature required while the main doors to the
PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 10

glass house will be made of glass due to its sustainability and helps to control the climate

change.

Additional Recommended Options

Straw bale construction

During the construction of the buildings, the bales should be stored in dry areas to prevent the

development of mold. Windows tend to be a point of failure due to water invasion, so they

should be well detailed.

Garden shed special treatments

Due to the cold climate in Barrington during the winter, appropriate measures need to be

taken in the design of the garden shed. The shed will be built largely by the use of wood in

order to marry with the design of the house and add to the appearance of the yard.

The glass part of the shed should have a north or northeasterly aspect and free from shadow

cast from neighboring buildings or trees. The roof will also have a steep pitch of 480 also to

ensure maximum transmission of light into the enclosure.

Cooling of the glasshouse is very important in the summer hence vents should run

throughout the whole length of the highest point of the roof and a corresponding area of vents

at the bottom to allow the intake of air. To ensure that the light is absorbed fully once

penetrated into the glasshouse, the interior and heat storage should be dark in color to

improve on thermal mass of the building. The floor will be insulated from surrounding soil

and heat lost through the glass by conduction to the outer surfaces and thereafter through

convection to the air can be retained by the use of insulating shutters or blinds, which are

lowered at night[ CITATION Pan07 \l 1033 ]. Double-glazing the windows can also solve this

problem.

Due to the need of a cold room, a blend of construction materials will be required

such as polyurethane sandwiched between stainless steel to control temperatures inside.

PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 11

Drawings

Floor plan
Scale 1:100
PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 12

Elevations

Front Elevation

Scale 1:50

Rear Elevation

Scale 1:50
PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 13

Side Elevation

Scale 1:50
PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 14

Section
Scale 1:50

3D Impression
PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 15
PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 16
PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 17

Conclusion
The proposed garden shed will be located in a rural block of land in Barrington. The spaces

accommodated inside the shed will include a cleaning area, a storage room and a glass

extension incorporated into it. The shed would be elevated from the ground to prevent loss of

heat to the ground and from rot and pests. The materials used in the construction of the shed
PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 18

are lightweight construction materials comprising of timber, glass, and straw bales. The shed

shall be built using a timber frame and straw bales as in fills form the walls to conserve the

theme with the main house and strike a balance between cost effectiveness and eco

friendliness. The floor shall be made of wood parquet and the roof shall be made of wood

shingles. The glass extension shall have special treatments in terms of its design including

high-pitched roof for maximum sun penetration, dark interiors for heat absorption and high

level and low level vents for ventilation. The glazed enclosure wood use the timber framing

to continue the wooden theme in the shed

The cold room shall also receive special treatment in terms of its design where the

walls shall be composite walls made of polyurethane and stainless steel to preserve cool

temperatures. A small area should also be cleared to include a patio that can be included as

part of the project to improve the entrance in terms of aesthetics.

The shed will be located far from the main house and far from the sources of firewood to

prevent spread of fires.

Recommendations
The straw bales should be preserved in a dry place during construction to prevent the growth

of moulds. The walls should also be water tight to ensure no water sips into the straw.

The wooden members used in construction should be appropriately treated to prevent attack

from rodents and other pests

The windows and doors should have a special detailing as they are considered weak points

and therefore more susceptible to leaks into the walls

The orientation of the building should be such that the glass enclosure faces the north

or northeast direction for maximum sun transmission. The glass windows should have blinds

installed on them to prevent heat loss through conduction and thereafter through convection

in the air or the glass panels should be double-glazed.

PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 19

The floor of the glazed area should be well insulated to prevent heat loss during the

winter and increase the thermal mass of the floor.

The roof should have a gutter system to ensure that the rainwater is harvested and

used when it is needed. The threat of bushfire is a real concern in Australia and the shed

should be sufficiently weather proofed and protected.

The use of a waterproof paint with a flat, satin, or eggshell finish should blend into its

natural surroundings. The shed should be slightly detached from the ground –create a

substructure and ensure the shed cannot be damaged from below

The windows and doors should have screens to prevent entry of pests and help in

keeping it fireproof. A solar chimney or exhaust fans may be needed as supplementary

shading from a shade cloth or whitewash.

PROPOSED DESIGN OF A GARDEN SHED 20

References

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hypotheses in ecology. Oikos, 121(9), 1337-1350.

Green, K., Stein, J. A., & Driessen, M. M. (2008). projected distributions of Mastacomys

fuscus and Rattus lutreolus in south-eastern Australia under a scenario of climate

change: potential for increased competition. Wildlife Research.

Halliday, S. (2008). Sustainable construction. Routledge.

Haselbach, L. (2008). The engineering guide to LEED-new construction: sustainable

construction for engineers. McGraw-Hill.

Kibert, C. J. (2016). Sustainable construction: green building design and delivery. John Wiley

& Sons.

Kim, Y. J., & Harries, K. A. (2010). Modeling of timber beams strengthened with various

CFRP composites. Engineering Structures, 32(10), 3225-3234.

Madurwar, M. V., Ralegaonkar, R. V., & Mandavgane, S. A. (2013). Application of agro-

waste for sustainable construction materials: A review. Construction and Building

Materials, 38, 872-878.

Matthews, B., De Meester, L., Jones, C. G., Ibelings, B. W., Bouma, T. J., Nuutinen, V., ... &

Odling-Smee, J. (2014). Under niche construction: an operational bridge between

ecology, evolution, and ecosystem science. Ecological Monographs, 84(2), 245-263.