JohnE: good tip re: checking out the readymades at the DIY/Home Improvement stores in town.

dweste: yes, I actually could approach this as a Phase 1/Phase 2. I hadn't thought of that and like the idea alot.

Tom_L: good questions; I hadn't really thought enough about different construction materials and their pros/cons. Also I definitely need to take a cold-eyed look at my current skills and tools. Should be a fun project, especially with a sidekick helping me.

UncleGoo: Wow, nice tip. Opened my mind to new possibilities. Thoreau's cabin might be just the think to make the shed into a Man-House or "Fortress of Solitude".

Lono: wow, the Modern Cabana. If I make my space this nice, it might be more comfortable than my home. Then I could put my work shop in the living room. Sweet!

ducktapeguy: excellent info re: foundations and leveling. Thanks for sharing budget range and process from your experience. Very good to have the sizing tips because I'm leaning toward the materials you mention, with perhaps a tin roof if I can address the heat issue. Good points about windows and security. (The biggest obstacle aside from budget is accepting that my bicycles and tools will be merely padlocked in a shed rather than stuff around my house.)

Thank you very much to each of you.