Architecture

Zinc-clad artist’s studio stands in and against the elements

Zinc-clad artist’s studio stands in and against the elements
The structure is actually two slightly offset buildings built on top of a midden wall where dung from the old stables nearby had been deposited
The structure is actually two slightly offset buildings built on top of a midden wall where dung from the old stables nearby had been deposited
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Perched over – as opposed to near – a local stream, the Midden Studio is described as the "lovechild of native granite and the local buildings."
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Perched over – as opposed to near – a local stream, the Midden Studio is described as the "lovechild of native granite and the local buildings."
The studio’s unique exterior is covered in a symmetrical pattern of crosses and diamonds
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The studio’s unique exterior is covered in a symmetrical pattern of crosses and diamonds
"We wanted the building to appear as a homogenous object, and zinc was a material we could use on every exterior surface"
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"We wanted the building to appear as a homogenous object, and zinc was a material we could use on every exterior surface"
The two separate spaces were created to solve the issue of light – one area needed softer or controlled light for digital work while the other needed more direct, bright light for traditional painting and drawing
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The two separate spaces were created to solve the issue of light – one area needed softer or controlled light for digital work while the other needed more direct, bright light for traditional painting and drawing
A portion of the studio is cantilevered over the stream with a large window built into an overhanging soffit to allow in soft light
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A portion of the studio is cantilevered over the stream with a large window built into an overhanging soffit to allow in soft light
The structure is actually two slightly offset buildings built on top of a midden wall where dung from the old stables nearby had been deposited
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The structure is actually two slightly offset buildings built on top of a midden wall where dung from the old stables nearby had been deposited
View gallery - 6 images

Zincis the 24thmost abundant element on Earth and as an architectural material it offers an extremely durable, corrosion resistant, easy to maintain surfacethat can be used to cover and create buildings in ways mostly limitedby imagination. Studio Weave fully embraced these metallic, weather busting properties whenit created Midden Studio, an artist’s workspace clad entirely inzinc that's tucked away on the west coastof Scotland.

Perched over – as opposed to near – a local stream(or burn in Scottish) with the lilting name of Allt ant-Sionnaich,the Midden Studio is described by its designers as the "lovechild ofnative granite and the local buildings."

"Wewanted the building to appear as a homogenous object, and zincwas a material we could use on every exterior surface - walls, roof,gutters, etc.," explains Eddie Blake, Principal Designer atStudio Weave and Project Lead for the Midden Studio. "Zinc is alsovery hard wearing, and the sea-sprayed, stormed tossed environment upon the west coast of Scotland demanded a tough cladding."

"We wanted the building to appear as a homogenous object, and zinc was a material we could use on every exterior surface"
"We wanted the building to appear as a homogenous object, and zinc was a material we could use on every exterior surface"

Thestudio’s unique exterior is covered in a symmetrical pattern ofcrosses and diamonds. The result is a modern look with a texturalfeel that is meant to connote masonry patterns derived from thefacades of two historic buildings in Italy – the14th-century Palazzo dei Diamanti and the 18th-century Chiesa delGesu Nuova church – and the now-ruined Crichton Castle on Scotland'seast coast.

Thestructure is actually two slightly offset buildings creating acombined 36square meters (approximately 380 square feet)built on top of a middenwall where dung from the old stables nearby had been deposited. Aportion of the studio is cantilevered over the Allt ant-Sionnaichstream with a large window built into an overhanging soffit to allowin soft light and provide an overhead view of the flowing water.

A portion of the studio is cantilevered over the stream with a large window built into an overhanging soffit to allow in soft light
A portion of the studio is cantilevered over the stream with a large window built into an overhanging soffit to allow in soft light

Thetwo separate spaces were created to solve the issue of light. Onearea needed softer or controlled light for digital work while theother needed more direct, bright light for traditionalpainting and drawing. An indoor wash area is also included.

Blakepoints out that thebuilding is made entirely from sustainably sourced timber anddesigned to be super insulated, cold-bridge free and therefore needsvery little heating.

Froma distance, Midden Studio could be mistaken for local barns and otheragricultural buildings. But once inside, the zinc gives way to a strikingly minimalist space. Birch plywood covers both floors andwalls allowing for an easy change when splattered paint, burn marksand other elements of the resident artist’s medium cover too muchof the surface.

Source: Studioweave

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3 comments
3 comments
MQ
now to be correct we need to know if the shack is "clad in Zinc" or clad in Zinc-Alum plated Steel ($0.084USD/lb)? (I'm sure we know the answer.) For a single material, why not clad the building in the 2nd most prolific metal on earth, Aluminium/Aluminum ($0.72USD/lb) , then it could be pure Al, at a reduced cost to pure Zn cladding ($0.77USD/lb).
Gotta have a larf.
Reason
MD, I rather suspect it is what they say it is;
http://euroclad.com.au/zinc/
Martin Hone
I thought the same . Is it fully zinc, or just zinc plated ? Zinc plated or zinc/alum is widely used here in Oz for metal roofing, and more recently with Colorbond which comes in a wide range of colors. I would think much cheaper than full zinc, and stronger.