Simple backyard shed is a glowing retreat

This design-savvy garden shed from architect Indra Janda glows like a lantern, thanks to polycarbonate shingles that let in plenty of natural light during the day while giving off an ethereal warmth at night.

Janda, co-founder of Belgian studio Atelier Janda Vanderghote, designed the quiet backyard retreat for her parent’s country house. The “Garden Room” is outfitted with a dining table and simple seating arranged for relaxing.

The gabled building is simple in design. It’s made of a timber frame and clad in plastic shingles that overlap to create a latticed pattern. “We wanted to give the material a new vibe,” Janda told Dezeen. “My father cut the cladding pieces himself, because they don’t exist to buy.”

Tim Van de Velde

From the inside, the 484-square-foot room is airy and light, like a greenhouse minus rows of plants and dirt. The wooden trusses stand out like a timber skeleton against the white shingles. But the room really comes alive at night when the lights that dangle from the wooden beams make the space glow from the inside out.

Tim Van de Velde