Erkin Özay, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, delivers a witty and thought-provoking exploration of one of architecture’s most overlooked building types: the shed.

Focusing on the often-criticized annex buildings scattered across UB’s South Campus, Erkin reframes these modest, one-story “temporary” structures, not as failures of design, but as quietly resilient and deeply instructive spaces. Originally installed in the 1960s as quick solutions to expanding institutional needs, these sheds were never meant to last. And yet, decades later, many still stand, unloved, underappreciated, and surprisingly indispensable.

Through humor and sharp observation, Erkin challenges the instinct to dismiss these buildings as “ugly” or insignificant. Instead, he reveals their unique architectural value: their flexibility, their openness to adaptation, and their refusal to demand attention. Unlike more iconic or carefully curated buildings, sheds don’t impose themselves, they simply work. They accommodate, absorb, and evolve.

Drawing comparisons from global examples to campus life, Erkin highlights how sheds often become sites of creativity and experimentation. Whether housing student projects, exhibitions, or unexpected transformations, these spaces invite possibility precisely because they are so unassuming. In one moment, they’re storage; in the next, they’re galleries, studios, or places of discovery.

At the same time, the talk raises deeper questions about architecture and intention. If a building’s success is defined not by its appearance but by how it’s used, then what can we learn from these humble structures? And what happens when we ask more, from both our buildings and ourselves?

Blending humor with insight, Erkin ultimately makes a compelling case: the shed is not the problem. It’s a mirror. A reminder that good design isn’t always about spectacle, it’s about adaptability, humility, and the potential to support meaningful work. In a world often driven by ambition and image, perhaps we could all use a little more shed-like thinking.