office conversion of gambrel shed

The Challenge: make a gambrel shed comfortable for daily office use. 

This goal was complicated by the fact that the shed construction was not designed to adequately ventilate conditioned air, and the walls were not designed to contain conditioned air. 

Because of the lack of soffits, a baffled rafter duct to a ridge vent was not possible. 

The Solution: don't try to make the shed something it is not. The design aimed for comfort, but not a complete air envelope.

Instead of a complete separation of conditioned and vented space, ventilation was emphasized throughout. 

Insulation was added and sealed using a smart vapor barrier called MemBrain. 

A small portable AC/dehumidifier was added to use on an ad-hoc basis.

Any unmanaged openings were framed and/or sealed. A motorized exhaust fan with backdraft control was installed high at the gable roof ridge. 

Larger, passive intakes were installed low to bring in cool air. These can be closed in Winter.

Two-inch closed-cell foam panels were used selectively in areas where long-term wood inspection and access were desired. 

The loft was extended by 24" by installing an extra joist. This required scarfing two smaller lengths to fit into the cavity. Blocking was added to the loft due to the need for floor rigidity.

Temporary bridge after washout

The Challenge: A burst of rain produced by a 25-year storm washed out a private bridge. The bridge served three households and roughly 20 people. 

The goal at first was to create a bridge that could last a matter of days to get at least some cars across. 

Lead times at contractors proved to be in the matter of weeks, meaning this bridge would need to be built to take moderate use over time. 

One key challenge is making it long enough to rest on solid ground. This length could increase over the weeks, as the water washes out more sections, until contractors can permanently address the bridge.

The Solution: when you have nieghbors willing to help, anything is possible.

This design above was actually the third iteration, all completed in a day. Once one neighbor mentioned building it like a deck floor, we were off to the races.

The main structure is framed with 6 treated 2x8x12 lumber fastened with exterior GRK screws. The cladding is mostly the same.

As needs change, the ramps can easily be removed so that joist can be doubled or extended as needed.