Startup aims to make additional home spaces accessible and sustainable
In an innovative approach to Vancouver’s housing crisis, a local designer has created a modular backyard as an affordable alternative for homeowners looking for extra space.
Daniil Aron-Mokhov, the 22-year-old founder of design startup SCHTAUSS, has developed a multifunctional outdoor building that functions as a workspace and a garden shed. His modular shed office design has drawn interest from homeowners around British Columbia looking for affordable, flexible space additions.
The Modular Shed Office was constructed using leftover materials from a home renovation and locally sourced scraps, incorporating sustainability into the design. Aron-Mokhov explained that the structure took just four days for laser cutting and fabrication, followed by two days of installation. The shed includes an indoor workspace accessed through three hinged doors and a rooftop patio accessible by ladder.
“There is quite an evident problem of housing shortage in Canada, and the market is just so over-saturated with high-end luxury buildings,” Aron-Mokhov told CTV News. “There has been a lot of talk in North America about how we can densify cities, and, given that it is really expensive at the moment to add additional space to your house, something like this would hopefully help.”
He added that his design offers a cost-effective alternative to typical home additions, which can be prohibitively expensive in Vancouver’s market.
The modular shed is also designed to meet regulations more easily, taking advantage of a “loophole” that allows structures under 15 square meters to bypass extensive paperwork.
This size flexibility makes it an option for homeowners looking to add space for uses like a home office, playroom, or other small functional areas without the costs and complexity of traditional renovations.
“The future of architecture is the modular building,” Aron-Mokhov said.
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Interest in Aron-Mokhov’s design is already spreading, with homeowners in Squamish and other areas reaching out for similar structures. While SCHTAUSS is a new startup and the Modular Shed Office is its first project, Aron-Mokhov aims to refine the design and expand his work across British Columbia and South America, where he believes they could serve as affordable housing in remote communities.
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