Synopsis:
‘The Light Shed’ has been conceived as a design and build project constructed by my assistant and I over the course of 21 days spread over 6 months. My approach was to focus on creating a holistic studio, office and business without the pressure of commercial letting and the rigid location that comes with owning an office. Focusing on family, play and collaborative work as a trifecta of interconnected programs that are organic and flow with the changing circumstances of my digitally nomadic lifestyle and studio ethos.
The Narrative:
The brief was to design and fabricate a low-cost bespoke studio space for my own emerging architecture practice in East London. With the studio being positioned at the end of a mid-terraced east London garden there were certain constraints that required thorough attention. The material palette was kept light weight and simple in order to enable full on-site fabrication as well as easy transfer through a recently finished house renovation and extension, ‘the cork house’.
The studio aims to create a sustainable approach to work and play, with the flexibility of flipping its function to become an entertaining space for summer gatherings and more intimate functions. The light shed offers desk space for two to three people and has the ability for its inhabitants to fluctuate depending on the tasks at hand. The approach is embedded in the studio ethos as I enjoy collaborative endeavours and I am always on the lookout for new collaborative projects, nomadic freelancers and interesting cross discipline designers to expand my reach as an architectural design studio.
Architecturally the studio has been constructed as a self-build project using cheap and hard-wearing materials, although these have been finessed to create an elegant and cosy workspace measuring in at 12sqm internally. Bespoke timber sliding doors connect the space to the sounds and vibrancy of a well-kept garden and diffused polycarbonate roofing panels give the studio its name, 'the light shed' due to the ambient light that is created. These design details create a perfect environment for the use of computers, model making equipment and presentations on its designated studio display screen.
The materials were also researched and chosen based on the specific environment offered by that position in the garden. With the garden being south facing and due to the function of The Light Shed being for architectural tasks such as model making, computer work and photography the approach was to block out any direct sunlight through the east, south and west walls to the studio. This was achieved by a timber frame modular system constructed using full sheets of plywood and clad in black lightweight corrugated fibreglass panels. These components had to be prefabricated on the ground and lifted into place, again calculated to the weight which was feasible for only two people to lift into place.
As a project that was designed and built in-house, we had the unique opportunity to hone our knowledge of construction which will no doubt strengthen our approach to future work. Most importantly I wanted to create a comfortable and relaxed working environment as my practice’s first dedicated studio space. The project has been a refreshing reminder of what can be achieved when scale and budget are limited. By adopting hardwearing, malleable materials I have reaffirmed the possibility of employing a maker’s approach to small scale architectural endeavours; resulting in well designed, thoroughly thought out and beautifully crafted small spaces that are more accessible to a wider audience.
For the studio the opal polycarbonate roof was a design breakthrough due to its duel function. The primary function was to create a well-lit space using diffuse natural light in order to operate the required equipment within, as well as provide a healthy and uplifting connection to nature. By its design the polycarbonate heats up in the sun and offers an attractive resting surface for aphids which bloom on the over-bearing sycamore tree above. This coupled with the sycamore’s excessive sap helps retain the aphids which in turn provides a rich buffet for local small birds such as blue tits which move within the protected canopy of the tree.
Since installation the roof has become a vibrant hub of ornithological activity, promoting a biodiversity success story within one little garden in east London. If as a studio we can prove that such concept design successes are easy and inexpensive to realise, surely this approach can be discussed more positively instead of just something to overcome when designing an architectural intervention, no matter what the scale.With current trends showing peoples’ willingness to explore alternatives to creating additional space as a means of maximising their home-life, ‘the light shed’ offers a superior solution to the common garden shed or summer house at a similar cost.
Due to the independent and autonomous nature of the building type that we have created it offers a solution that can utilise the construction methods mirroring well designed, insulated and sound-proofed build-ups of a contemporary timber framing process. This type of building project allows the occupier to enjoy the comfort of their own home in a specific location within their garden that provides an experience the traditional extension cannot offer due to building constraints.
Material Used :
1. Onduline - Facade Cladding – Bituminous Mini Corrugated Rood Sheet – Black
2. The Colour Flooring Company – Interior Floor Finish – Vinyl Flooring – Monckton Green
3. T Chambers & Son Ltd – Supply ONLY Interior Sheet Material – Birch Plywood
4. Clear Amber Group – Polycarbonate Roofing System – ALUKAP-RX
