Location: Genesee, ID

Black Shed (12’ x 18’) is a design-build project, which was completed for White Spring Ranch Museum/Archive Library in Genesee, ID, in spring 2017 by students and faculty members. My role in this project was as lead faculty member who worked on the project from beginning to end. The challenge of the project was to design and build a storage space for the museum’s historical artifacts on the site developed by a homestead family in the late 19th century. Due to budgetary constraints, the project needed to be self-built. We modified the site, constructed the foundation and the building, and charred the wood.

Due to the unavailability of electric power, one of the focuses for this project was how to bring natural light into the shed. Instead of installing a picture window, it was decided to use numerous small diameter holes to invite natural light into the space on the exterior charred wood rainscreen walls. Different sizes of holes were tested for their spatial effects in a model and full scale mock-ups. Testing revealed that smaller holes would create more evenly distributed ambient light in the interior space. More than 80,000 5mm holes were milled in the exterior walls. When the exterior light comes into the space through the holes, the exterior environment around the shed is reflected through the light. For example, during the winter, when there are no leaves on the trees next to the shed, white light from outside fills the interior space. In late spring, the light on the east and west sides where there are trees enters as green light through the young leaves. Ambient light in the shed reflects the outside environment through the color of light.

The project received a National Design-Build Award from ACSA (Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture) in January 2018 and finalist for 2018 Architizer A+ Awards for the Architecture + Light category in July 2018.

Student acknowledgements:

Mathew Staley, Drew Jepsen, Jared Miline, Richard Carlos, Chris Opdyke, Marianeth Becerril, Vlanka Catalan, Jason Johnson, Yang Chen, Ian Chao, and Zhe Song

Donors for the project:

GGLO, Katerra, Northwest Partners LLC, Miller Hull, Olson Kundig, VIA Architecture, Jim Miller, Todd Enoki, Callison RTKL

Special thanks to Pullman Building Supply, Atlas Concrete, Bennett Lumber, and the White Spring Ranch Advisory Board