Set down in a stretching landscape the new studio, its materiality subtle – muted, its form rooted in simplicity – emblematic of modern design, is a controlled gesture, gently resting in the countryside, forming an expression of our ideology.

The studio`s building strategy is based on an elegant rectangle {a form harmonious with the existing linear adjacent barn} of predominantly glazed elevations capped and enclosed at each end by larch timber clad ‘book ends’. Cor-ten detailing further enhances the sense of place, reflecting the old, discarded agricultural machinery and steelwork of the barn.

Accommodation comprises of a reception and seating area for clients, a kitchen, storage, studio space, WC’s, meeting rooms and a library and services pod - a continuous expanse of space defined by volumes of Wenge pods containing the ancillary elements of the programme.

Frameless, 3.2m high glazed panels, embellished with a slight green tint to reflect the seasons of the landscape, afford panoramic views of the peaceful landscape and provide a comfortable and inspiring environment for the practices’ 7 members of staff. These glazed facades are punctured by timber clad pods – within which dedicated functions subsist – whose floating appearance evinces a gentle tension through the contrasting properties of solidity and levity. The timber clad boxes are utilised more on the southern elevation to protect the building from overheating; whilst high levels of insulation ensure the building far exceeds building regulation requirements on heat loss. Employing a wind turbine, rainwater harvesting, eco paint, low energy central controlled lighting and underfloor heating, a central vacuum and air control systems, the studio, central to our aims, consciously approaches contemporary issues of sustainability.

2006

2007