Yoga Shack

by Matt Buttrill
(Alexandria, VA)

The Yoga Shack

Hi John- Been following your website for about a year...love the ideas and excitement people get out of it.

Sheds seem to allow people to think creatively and artistically without getting hung up on all the details and economic issues of a house or other expensive structure. Anyway, this year I was on a tv show on cable for a shed I built. The show was called Renovation Nation (I recently heard it had been discontinued because the host was a pill) with Steve Thomas, who used to be the host of This Old House, years ago. The premise of the show was green building, mostly on houses.

My project was included because the shed used approximately 75% salvaged and "recycled" materials.

I got timbers and metal structural pieces from a local salvage place, plywood and studs off of craigslist for next to nothing, thick foam insulation literally from the side of the road, a kneeling wall from a church and even recycled some old concrete I had in my yard into the new concrete floor. Starting as a demo project for this show, I ended up completing the shed to be a tiny yoga studio for my wife as a ten-year anniversary present. The most notable piece of the salvage puzzle were the two timbers that are laid as the front edge of the foundation; these came from the stage that was built for Pres. Obama's inauguration, later dismantled and given to area salvage warehouses. I used new roof materials, new siding (concrete backer board stained green, about 50 bag of concrete, and mostly new hardware, but all the rest was salvage. I never truly added it up but the total cost was probably around $1500-1800. It's a lovely little space to meditate or do yoga, warm during the day even in winter, with great light and view. I meant to share this with you sooner but life gets busy after all. I am also a full time stay at home parent of two small children and a sculptor when I have the time ;)


cheers,
Matt Buttrill
Alexandria, VA