These Space Stations Can Be Parked Anywhere

Smart, compact, and sustainable are the key ingredients to Louisville’s Studio Shed

September 10, 2015

Laura Beausire,

Think of Studio Sheds as the Fiat 500 of architecture: They’re stylish, cool, and can be parked almost anywhere. Another asset of these modular, eco-friendly structures is that they go way beyond storage. A home office, a kids play place, a woodshop—anything you don’t have room for in the house can be accommodated and built steps from your door. The beautiful truth of this on-property detachment is that your next getaway is available daily, in the backyard.

Since this is a Colorado story, it naturally starts in Boulder with a couple of mountain bike racers—Mike Koenig and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski—looking for extra storage space for their bikes. As it happens, these two restless problem-solvers also shared a passion for engineering and modern design along with a bold entrepreneurial spirit. Studio Shed was born in 2006, and it’s been growing quickly ever since.

“Our philosophy is to provide something that adds space to your life in a thoughtful and smart way,” Horgan-Kobelski explains. “In an age of too-large homes and inefficient suburban living, a Studio Shed can provide a growing family the space they need in a way that treads lightly on the planet, consumes fewer costs and resources, and enhances lifestyle at the same time.”

Innovation, sustainability, and customization are trademarks of the forward-thinking designs. And the process is fun, with a catalog of thousands of panelized elevations that can be visualized online in a 3-D Configurator. Each Shed is then prefabricated in Colorado from green materials—including denim insulation and cork flooring—and shipped for on-site installation.

The uses are as wide-ranging as your imagination, from backyard office to greenhouse to yoga sanctuary and beyond. Sizes range from the Fido-friendly Studio Wag to the new Summit Series, topping out at a hefty 16 x 34 feet.

“Many customers tell us how life-changing their Studio Shed has been for them,” Horgan-Kobelski notes. “Whether it’s in terms of creativity, work, or play, having a space of your own really creates an emotional connection to the building.

This 10-foot by 12-foot Studio Shed Signature Series model in Web Gray features HardiPlank cement-based siding and custom CloudLite structural aluminum windows.