Shackitecture! Will we get tired of the subject? Probably, but not yet!

Kivik Art Centre Pavilion via Wallpaper

As several national and international D+R readers have pointed out, our discussions on building code and zoning laws have been terribly biased towards the West Coast and especially California. Guilty as charged! It so happens that 3/4 of our expert panel of shackitecture outlaws reside in the sunny state of California. Of course, we could not have planned an All Star Cali Team if we tried, but it just happened that way.

So, what about the rest of the world? Well, D+R is not interested in becoming a clearinghouse of global building code foibles and anomalies. And, to be fair, much of our discussion is based on the Uniform Building Code, which is sort of a municipal template that is modified to local requirements. Will we continue to post about code and zoning? Probably not much, except as related to clever workarounds, alternate materials and inspired power/water solutions.

Based on reader letters, the rules do vary! Miles reports that storage sheds in Santa Rosa can be a palatial 120 square feet, which sounded impressive until we read that Michael in rural Pennsylvania remodeled his house from the studs without a single inspection. If you think that rural PA sounds good, just wait! Michael asked about building a garage. "Anything you want, no inspections, up to 1000 square feet."

Back to the shackitecture thrills of actual buildings, we present the Kivik Art Centre Pavilion in Sweden by David Chipperfield and Antony Gormley.


Besides being beautiful, this pavilion raises the question of what is a building and what is a deck? It is almost a pedestal for elevated outdoor space. Grand and compact.


Kivik Art Centre Pavilion at Wallpaper