Garden gem

A diminutive build in the back garden provides a quiet retreat for a Northern Rivers family, and was a testing ground for design and construction ideas.

Deep in a lush food forest in Mullumbimby in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales nestles an exemplary backyard ‘shed’: a standalone retreat in the south-west corner of building designer Brently Reid’s garden. Designed to accommodate a variety of activities for his family, it was also an opportunity to experiment with ideas and materials and create an exemplar for future EcoSphere Design client projects.

The small 14-square-metre internal space is simply furnished with two space-efficient built-in desks, open shelving and cupboard storage. Large openings expand the space to the north, admitting welcome sunshine and views to Mount Chincogan, and to the east where there is a covered deck. The design was inspired by both Japanese architecture and the work of renowned Australian architect Richard Leplastrier, who eschews glass and a sense of enclosure.

Richard’s work is all about engaging with the landscape, and Brently’s retreat achieves this effortlessly. As an alternative to glass, Brently experimented with corrugated polycarbonate sheet on steel frames for fixed and sliding wall panels. “The bronze-coloured polycarb almost looks black from the outside but fills the space with a warm glow when the sun passes through it,” he says. Elsewhere, solid sections of wall – there are no openings to the south or west – are skinned in black-stained ecoply that helps the structure visually disappear into the vegetation.

Brently had a tiny budget of $25,000 for the project. To achieve it, he relished being an owner-builder: developing skills ‘on the tools’, using recycled materials, and detailing off-the-shelf materials in creative ways. Reclaimed timber was used as feature internal lining and for the curved bench, bookshelf, and door and window reveals. “The nail holes and imperfections in the timber give it great character,” he says. New structural materials like oriented strandboard (OSB) and laminated veneer lumber (LVL), often concealed in conventional builds, were deliberately featured and stained black, and Brently assembled LVL offcuts to make a desktop. Other ‘cheap and cheerful’ finishes like the burnished concrete slab and clear-sealed fibre cement sheet (used on the cupboard doors) further saved costs and are employed with elegance. “None of these things are rocket science, just an honest expression of the materials,” says Brently modestly.

Outside, a demolished concrete slab was cut into pavers for the bath area just north of the retreat, timber rounds form seating around a fire pit, railway sleepers bridge a waterway to the garden beyond, and mirrored wardrobe doors framed in salvaged timber enlarge the feel of the garden and bounce morning light.

Being the builder enabled Brently to develop the final design details as the project progressed. He learned firsthand the buildability of his ideas, and how some could only fit within the budget if he did the work himself – in particular, the curved wall, reclaimed timber lining and built-in furniture. He loved the experience, an opportunity to get away from the computer and work with his hands. “I’ve been designing houses for 30 years, but getting hands-on with the tools taught me some of the tricks of the trade that make building easier. The experience gave me valuable insights to bring to my practice.” For example, he discovered a love of OSB as an interior material for its texture, stability, moisture resistance, waste material content and formaldehyde-free properties. “I’m a convert,” he says.

The orientation, spatial design, sun shading, thermal mass of the slab and use of vegetation have all proven highly effective in keeping the space comfortable year-round. Brently and his family love the way the building sits quietly in the garden, and enjoy making the most of the space for music, yoga, reading, reflection and a multitude of other uses. “My wife and I often camp out here overnight,” says Brently. “All of the components of this backyard retreat project add up to creating a sense of calm and joy, which for us is big-picture sustainability: supporting and nurturing our inner being so we can then head out and fight the good fight!”

This beautifully crafted project was a worthy recipient of regional and national Building Designers Association of Australia awards in 2024. It is an exemplary sustainable build – small and adaptable, cost-effective, durable, designed for passive thermal comfort enhanced by landscape design, and celebrating recycled materials. Every garden should have one.