An elementary architectural piece, Shed by Julie Richoz proposes a new typology of lightweight, compact textile shelters.

Richoz is interested in the capacity of textiles to create a sense of place. Researching the history of textile architecture, such as the compact fabric camps used by traditional nomadic peoples, Richoz focused on the way in which even a single textile surface can generate the impression of a welcoming home.

Shed uses the physical properties of Kvadrat Febrik’s knitted textiles to create an elegant dwelling that is enlivened by simple details, such as cords for suspension, supporting structures, and weights used to anchor the textiles. Richoz chose to work with the Plecto textile, enjoying its contrasting back colour and surface pattern as simultaneously craftlike and technological. The dimensions of her shelter are determined by the width of the textile roll.

When manipulating Plecto in the large dimensions required by Shed, Richoz was surprised by the organic manner in which the knitted textile draped. Working with large-scale panels, Richoz juxtaposed alternating colours across the surface of her installation. Designed with one eye on the historic use of textiles as protection for the body, Shed is a simple shelter that serves as an abstraction of a home.