board, a synthetic, cement-infused material; the entrance handles are inch-and-a-half iron pipe; and the doors are formed from recycled floor joists. Witmer incorporated a lamp on top of the
[ ‘THE PASSION FOR THE SHED’ ]
painter’s studio for his wife, Jessica, who works in The Washington Post’s information technol- ogy department. The shed is also a shrine to the notion that scrap wood and other castoffs can look really sharp. Witmer, who created a firm called SCALE-
T
house design, blends high design with a green sensibility, and it’s not until you look closely at the shed that you realize how humble is its fabric. The facade has a studied asymmetry about
it, with a projecting red pillar on the left of double doors, each with a diagonal handle that meet at an apex. The pillar is clad in Hardie
he 2009 winner of the spinoff Inter- national Shed of the Year contest is an architect from Silver Spring, Chuck Witmer. His shed functions as a hang- out, a workshop for himself and a
pillar, encasing the bulb in plexiglass that he frosted with a sander. The sides and rear of the shed are clad in recycled materials includ- ing stained tongue-and-groove pine board and corrugated plastic. Montgomery County sheds with minimal building requirements are limit- ed to a floor area of 200 square feet; Witmer’s is 196. A small footprint for man, a giant leap for man caves? The roof joists project over the entrance, and the roof itself is edged in a horizontal rail- ing of nylon straps. Together, these details relieve the inherent boxiness of the shed and on sunny days create shadow patterning that embellishes its visual interest. He laid the con- crete floor in early 2009, and the shed was constructed from May to June of last year. The walls on the east side feature panels
of translucent etched glass, which were made as shelves but which Witmer turned into win- dows by framing them in wood. Inside his shed, Witmer designs and builds furniture. “It’s a big shed, but it has been a lot more to
us than that,” he said. “I’m in here three nights a week.” Andrew Wilcox was on the panel that ad-
judged Witmer’s shed the best in the world. “Some of the other judges looked for architec-
September 19, 2010 | The WashingTon PosT Magazine 19
Owners Chuck and Jessica Witmer
Location Silver Spring
Style High design with green sensibility
Floor area 196 square feet
Highlights Panels of translucent etched glass, loft
Show Us Your Sheds: Simple or extravagant, classic or creative, we want to see your own backyard escape. Share your photos in our gallery at washingtonpost. com/magazine.
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