Page 67 - Winter_2020

The TreeHouse Shed at left, with a The shed and the main house, with the paved terrace between them. All photos © John Cole Photography
corner of the main house at right.
Project: TreeHouse Shed and Landscape
Bethesda, MD
Architects: Gardner Architects LLC
Landscape Architects/Master Planners: Jordan Honeyman Landscape
Architecture
Structural Engineers: 1200 Architectural Engineers
General Contractor: Added Dimensions

The shed’s material palette complements, but does not
exactly replicate, that of the main house. The two structures
share the same vertical cedar siding, but while the main house’s
horizontal wood accent panels are made of ipe, that would have
been too heavy for the sliding doors on the shed, so Gardner The shed as seen from the rear yard, with the sliding doors open.
specified stained cedar instead. The shed’s dark painted wood
trim offsets the greys and browns of the cedar, and contrasts
with the yellowish plywood lining the interior.
Because the shed opens up on a flat terrace, the owner
can easily pull items out and shuffle them around as needed,
making the structure much more functional than if it had been
crammed in an out-of-the way spot. Some boulders found on site
were moved in order to maintain the appropriate slope of the
land and provide places to sit.
No word yet on whether the owner has ever actually
thought to serve tea here, but the meticulously designed setting
seems well suited should she choose to do so.
The shed with the sliding doors closed.

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