The Shed Space Collaboration

'Shed Space' model garden scene designed by Jeni Burnell and Patrick Stimpson

SHED SPACE is an art exhibition that will take place at Arts and the Old Fire Station in central Oxford from Friday 20 May until Saturday 2 July 2016. 

CENDEP's Jeni Burnell and Brookes' alumni Patrick Stimpson are co-founders and directors of the Oxford architectural practice Space Program Ltd. They created Shed Space to celebrate the humble garden shed and its role in creative industries, past and present. 

A full-size garden shed with a living roof will be built in the gallery. Inside the shed will be an elaborate scale model of a garden scene. The sheds contained within the model are a mix of realistic and whimsical architectural designs. Using mirrors, the scene stretches to infinity making the full-size shed appear larger on the inside then out. The work plays with architectural space-making by deliberately confusing scale and turning spaces 'inside out'. 

Several of the miniature shed designs have a developmental theme in keeping with CENDEP's focus. ‘Beds in Sheds’ highlights rouge landlords in Oxfordshire who build unlawful shed housing with the aim of taking advantage of vulnerable people and profiting from their misfortune. 

'Beds in Sheds' by Jeni Burnell

With worldwide displacement of people due to war and persecution at an all time high (United Nations),‘Suitcase Shed’ explores the chaos and transitional nature of migration. It was designed Mick Scott who is an architect and associate lecturer in the School of Architecture at Oxford Brookes. His MPhil research, carried out in association with CENDEP, concerns 'Sustainable Spatial Strategies in the Occupied West Bank of Palestine towards Conflict Transformation, Resilience, and Resistance.' 

'Suitcase Shed' by Mick Scott

The whimsical sheds were created by art and architecture students from Oxford Brookes. They include a ‘Sweetie Shed’ designed by architecture and DEP student Katie Reilly. She defines her shed as; “An edible escape for children in a yummy playhouse at the bottom of the garden where imagination runs wild and friendships blossom”.

'Sweetie Shed' by architecture student Katie Reilly

Other sheds include ‘Bike Shed’ made from reclaimed and recycled bicycle parts including chains, cogs and spokes. ‘Nature Shed’ inspiring quiet contemplation under a canopy of woven willow while 'Music Shed' creates a lively and light band rehearsal space within the confines of ‘home sweet home’.

'Bike Shed' by architecture student George Williams

'Music Shed' by art student Eleanor Monk

'Nature Shed' by art student Dominika Muza

Shed Space is part of Arts and the Old Fire Station's ‘Making Spaces’ Programme and will include a series of 2-day ‘Meet the Maker’ artist residencies, including wire crafting, drawing, textiles, furniture design, and basket making, taking place within the gallery throughout the duration of the exhibition. The artists will display their work in the exhibition and run a series of public workshops as part of their residencies. 

Shed Space has been great fun to develop and build. We hope that people visiting the exhibition will enjoy exploring the shed designs and the other artworks on display and feel inspired to make something fun in their garden sheds this summer! 

Jeni Burnell

Research Associate, CENDEP

Director, Space Program Ltd.