The Apple Shed – Cumulus Studio
Project summary
This project involved the conversion of an existing apple packing shed in the Huon Valley (built in 1942 and converted to an apple museum in the 1980s) into the new spiritual home of Willie Smiths Organic Apple Cider. Cumulus Studio redeveloped the shed into a new cider house and home for the Willie Smiths brand, providing a social hub for the Huon community, in which the apple heritage could be reassessed and continue to be celebrated. The project involved two distinct phases. The first involved the restoration of the existing apple packing shed, introducing natural light and refurbishing the industrial sliding doors, exposing the simple spatial volume of the original shed. Secondly, a new insertion was conceived to house the programmatic brief. The strategic approach was to establish a simple core (no pun intended!) that sat within the volume of the shed. This core contained all of the service requirements for the project – a new bar and retail point, a kitchen and prep area and an office space. This was envisaged as a monolithic form, consisting of stacked cardboard boxes, out of which openings and serving areas were carved as required.
Construction
Ian Daun – builder
Steve Fluke – builder
Tony Heron – builder
Sten Kooloff – builder
Tim Gorringe – builder
James Bell – builder
Consultants
Aldanmark – structural consultant
Dan Green – landscape consultant
Futago – graphic design
Glen Barry – brand
Sam Reid – brand
Castellan Consulting – building surveyor