by Andrew Michler


French designer Véronique Maire teamed with the landscape architect and artist Francoise Maire to create – a petite garden shed made from planks and bottles using very old building techniques. The project was unveiled at the Arche de la Nature exhibition – a collection of 150 designs and 10 sheds which are required to use minimal materials and be built on-site. The winning shed is composed simply of champagne bottles and wood planks, which are gingerly assembled to a create a richly textured little space.


The design seems to bridge the centuries using simple 1×4 sticks of wood stacked up to create the walls. Champagne bottles are laid into place based on the practice of entreillées, where bottles are set in rows with each set facing the opposite direction and a baton is placed between the rows to support the bottles. The system was developed to ensure the stack stays in place if a sparkling wine bottle popped it cork.
The tiny shed takes those cues to create a complex building which clearly amounts to much more that the materials it made from. Reminiscent of a chapel complete with stained glass windows is a vivid example of how rich design can come from humble origins.
(Source: www.inhabitat.com )