J-Pod
J-Pod is an independent living studio replacing an asbestos shed in a suburban backyard in Newcatle, NSW.
This tiny home has been slowly realised by owner builders and their generous friends and family, a shoestring budget supplemented with a whole lot of love.
A beautiful casestudy in 'smaller but better'. Being so tiny and built to the northern boundary we aimed to provide warmth through rich materiality, generous volume and well-proportioned glazing.
Smaller but sustainable. The studio is setout on a strict 1200mm grid to use full sheets and minimise wastage. Insulation is over-speced. Each space naturally ventilated. Materials, fixtures and fittings were predominantly sourced from Facebook Marketplace – including the bottle-green bathroom tiles were rescued from a skip-bin at the QT Hotel build.
Smaller but adaptable. While we originally designed every item of joinery to maximise space and amenity, a tight budget meant us taking a step back and working with readily available components like Ikea cabinetry and shelving. This allows the space to be furnished in a number of ways, in future perhaps acting as a teenage retreat for sleepovers, a literal granny flat or a home office.
Smaller but simple. The project had to be detailed extremely simply and clearly to be built by a team with little to no building experience. We as designers spent a lot of time at framing stage literally setting out studs and noggins. Wall & roof panels were constructed in a nearby friend's shed and hand lifted onto site.
The ridge of the roof was dictated by the shed of the neighbouring dwelling which shares a common driveway, however the neighbours shed has since been demolished. This roof pitches down to the south to retain direct light and views to a much loved mango tree in the corner of the yard.
To capture natural light and ventilation into the bathroom a small saw tooth pop-up was placed over the shower, reminiscent of the heritage wire rope factory viewable behind the property.
The brief was to provide a space for sleeping, cooking, washing and resting all within the approximate footprint of the existing shed. Services (a bathroom and kitchenette) are clustered to one end of the home with a storage zone separating a sleeping zone / study space.
A village of helpers (friends and family) contributed to literally lift the (very heavy fire-rated) walls into place and scramble to get the build watertight over the Christmas holidays. A friend and his father-in-law (both teachers ) slowly spent the next few school holiday periods cladding and fitting out the project with the assistance of ‘cashies’ by local electrical, waterproofing and tiling trades.
Tiles, lights, fixtures and appliances were all salvaged from other projects and destined for the skip.
In comparison, local ‘backyard-granny-flat’ companies were offering a similar price for steel-framed, plastic-clad structures with no customisation.
‘It’s mad. Well laid out. Lots of natural light. The feel of a bigger space with the efficiency of a small one.’
Occupant: Josie
‘When you have a young family living in a small house on a small urban block, adding self-contained housing for another loved one seemed like an impossible task. However, we now realise how clever design can make the seemingly impossible possible. It’s a beautiful, peaceful, and well-planned space which we know will be useful for many years.’
Owner Builder: Steph
Being a small site and with a backyard currently the focal point for the young family, J-Pod has been and designed and detailed to disappear into the garden. Eventually external vines obscure will obscure it’s façade.
Have a project in mind you’d like to discuss? Get in contact and we can start the conversation.
J-Pod Project Details
Location: Mayfield East, Newcastle
Current Phase: Construction Services
Expected Completion: 2024
Client
Family of four + Relative
Meow (Cat) + Mr Ricky-Tippy-Tumpy (Cat)
Residential
Backyard Studio
Location & Climate
Temperate climate
Warm summer