Nightlight Shed / Fabric

Architects: Fabric
Area: 10 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Nancy Zhou
Manufacturers: Abodo, Alsynite, Carter Holt Harvey, Ulrich Aluminium Cladding
Design: Mitchell Coll, Amy Douglas
City: Akaroa
Country: New Zealand

Nightlight Shed, by Fabric, is a temporary living and tool storage space in Akaroa, Banks Peninsula, New Zealand, designed to support land regeneration and complement a future home. Positioned in a kānuka clearing, the shed features a timber lattice that mimics surrounding trunks, transforming it into a visible light sculpture that contrasts its minimalist daytime facade. Influenced by Japanese architecture, it has exposed material junctions and shoji-inspired elements for privacy and connection to nature. The polycarbonate shell and LVL pine framing enhance light transmission and maintain a uniform glow, despite construction challenges. Built by the architect-owners with custom components, it prioritizes timber for low maintenance and negative embodied carbon, using locally sourced materials that blend seamlessly into the environment.

Nightlight occupies a small space within a historic clearing in the kānuka belt surrounding Akaroa township in Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. It is designed to serve as a temporary living space and tool storage to support the owner’s long-term plan to regenerate the land and construct their permanent home. Once the main home is built, this temporary structure is intended to integrate seamlessly with its surroundings, enhancing the landscape rather than detracting from it.

It is wrapped in a timber lattice that mimics the surrounding kānuka trunks, blending the structure into its environment. Unlike a typical shed that might be tucked away or serve solely for utility, Nightlight is reimagined as a light sculpture meant to be visible from the future outdoor living space. At night, its filtered glow through the slats offers a striking contrast to the minimalist facade seen during the day, adding warmth and light to an otherwise dark site.

Drawing inspiration from the Japanese influence on Christchurch architecture that the owners admire, the design prominently features exposed material junctions and fixings. A shoji-inspired approach maintains a continuous connection to the surrounding bush while offering privacy where needed inside. This connection is further enhanced by the polycarbonate shell, chosen for its ease of transport and workability with hand tools. LVL pine was selected for its rigidity and straightness, minimizing the need for additional timber members and enhancing light transmission. Each batten and slat was meticulously aligned with the internal structure, used sparingly to create a consistent glow pattern at night. Ensuring precise geometry and alignment posed a significant challenge throughout the construction process.

Constructed by the architect-owners, the building features numerous custom-crafted components, including operable screens, a surface slider, windows, and a screen wall. Additionally, they hand-mixed and poured the concrete pile footings and hot tub, and built racks to keep their tools organized and accessible for the ongoing project of regenerating the land and building their future home.

Timber was used extensively to achieve a net negative embodied carbon footprint and ensure low maintenance. Locally sourced macrocarpa for the decking and thermally modified pine for the slats were left to weather and silver naturally, echoing the appearance of the kānuka trunks. In contrast, the internal LVL framing retains a warm tone, creating a welcoming atmosphere for users. The addition of mist green further simplifies the palette, allowing the structure to blend harmoniously with its surroundings.