feathered timber shingles wrap hen-shaped chicken coop in UK's lake district

Heir and a Spare’s overlapping layers create feather-like texture

Heir and a Spare is a new chicken enclosure set to be built at Grizedale Arts in the Lake District, UK, featuring a distinctive timber structure inspired by the form of a hen. Designed by Phineas Harper, Rosa Nussbaum, and Jos Geczy, the coop integrates a combination of UK-grown timber shingles arranged in overlapping layers to create a feather-like texture.

The structure is elevated on a powder-coated steel frame and incorporates a curved shingled roof. Two primary doors, fitted with pivoting polycarbonate vents, allow for daylight and ventilation, while a letterbox hatch at the rear provides access to four cork-insulated nesting boxes for egg collection. A ceramic finial, glazed in red, crowns the top of the enclosure, referencing the shape of a chicken’s comb.

all images courtesy of Phineas Harper, Rosa Nussbaum, and Jos Geczy

mobile Heir and a Spare chicken coop includes a large wheel

The creative team of Phineas Harper, Rosa Nussbaum, and Jos Geczy has won the design competition to build the new chicken coop at Grizedale Arts in the Lake District. Designed for mobility, the coop includes a large wheel, enabling repositioning within the landscape. The project is funded by the Coronation Orchard Fund, a £2.5m community initiative commemorating the coronation of King Charles III.

Grizedale Arts, a rural arts organization in Cumbria, has previously hosted architectural projects such as Rock Hut by Material Cultures and a cold food store by Hayatsu Architects. Once constructed, Heir and a Spare will become a prominent addition to the site’s evolving collection of structures.

Heir and a Spare is a new chicken enclosure set to be built at Grizedale Arts

the distinctive timber structure is inspired by the form of a hen

UK-grown timber shingles arranged in overlapping layers create a feather-like texture

the structure is elevated on a powder-coated steel frame and incorporates a curved shingled roof

two primary doors, fitted with pivoting polycarbonate vents, allow for daylight and ventilation

a letterbox hatch at the rear provides access to four cork-insulated nesting boxes for egg collection

the coop includes a large wheel, enabling repositioning within the landscape

Heir and a Spare is the winning project of Grizedale Arts’ chicken coop design competition

project info:

name: Heir and a Spare
designers: Phineas Harper, Rosa Nussbaum, and Jos Geczy

organizer: Grizedale Arts | @grizedale.arts

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom