The SHED Project’s affordable micro-homes pop up in just one day

London’s housing crisis is one of the worst in the world, but an innovative new initiative could help alleviate the problem. Studio Bark teamed up with Lowe Guardians to create the SHED Project, a plan to insert affordable micro-homes inside vacant buildings across the city.

Built from affordable, low-impact materials, these compact SHEDS take only one day to construct and can be easily styled into attractive tiny dwellings.Each SHED is built primarily of CNC-milled Smartply (formaldehyde-free OSB), lamb’s wool insulation, and recycled polycarbonate—all materials made in or around the United Kingdom. To increase ease and speed of construction, Studio Bark designed a modular architectural system, where each panel are fitted together to create ‘U-Build’ modules that can then be easily bolted together into the SHED frame. This model also has the added benefit of reducing construction waste, both financially and environmentally. Each SHED takes one day to construct, can be transported, and is insulated and soundproof.

The SHED Project is aimed at young professionals looking for affordable housing, which will be placed within vacant properties like warehouses. Clusters of pod-like structures could form neighborhoods and communities inside and serve as an alternative to property guardianship to help protect those otherwise vacant buildings from squatters and vandals. Residents are expected to assemble the modular SHEDs themselves, in order to create a sense of ownership. Residents would presumably have shared bathroom facilities.

“The SHED project presented us with the opportunity to explore new options of temporary housing and shelter,” said Wilf Meynell. Director of Studio Bark. “We were hugely excited by Lowe Guardian’s environmental ethos and were keen to develop a pod that could be easily reused and re-appropriated, helping to minimise building waste to landfill. The SHED project provides the opportunity to put a stop to substandard and wasteful temporary development in London and across the UK.”