Garden Studio in London by ByOthers

In south London, the young architectural office ByOthers has designed its own studio as a place for experimentation – and also built it itself. The Garden Studio is located in Peckham at the rear end of a terraced house property and is the first completed work by the young office established in 2020.  

Only accessible through the house at the front of the property, the studio was built out of materials carried by hand through the house's narrow corridor. The building consists of three tapered blocks in a staggered composition, with each block providing space for different functions: work, meetings and utilities. A ridgeline running from corner to corner has a playful, undulating form also expressed in the interior.    

Building without concrete

In building the Garden House, the architects wanted to test a number of ideas, including building without concrete. The studio thus has a lightweight wood frame resting on a timber foundation raft that seemingly floats above the ground. Its supports in the form of manually installed bored piles reduced the need for concrete strip footings.

Materials

The exterior of the studio is clad in custom-made Corten steel panels, whereby all U-shaped beams are inverted to show both the method of fastening and the studio's structure.  Due to the roof line's angular geometry, each steel panel differs in terms of dimensions and its placement on the exterior. To ensure installation of the panels at the right places, ByOthers designed a geometric code made up of triangles and lines laser-cut into the base of the panels.  

Interiors

Interior features include clay plastering, timber surfaces treated with a plant-based wood oil and a bespoke sanitary and kitchen unit in iridescent dipped steel that forms a clear contrast to the soft texture of the wood while also reflecting light around the interior. Sheep's wool used for insulation creates a pleasant indoor climate all year round. A large glass pivot door opens the studio to an outdoor seating area in the verdant garden. Planters along the base of the staggered side elevation anchor the studio in its surroundings and create a lively contrast between the rusty colour of the weathered steel and the deep green of ferns and foliage.