Garden Room

The site is located in the main garden located at the front of the house. The garden room therefore had to be designed to maintain privacy from the main street and neighbouring property just behind it, but also not to be obtrusive to the neighbours and passers by.

The garden room is located in the North West of the garden, tucked into the corner. This location is furthest from the driveway and house in order to allow it to primarily address the lawn and planting. The siting prompted its triangular plan; the hypotenuse of the triangle housing a wide glazed opening maximising views across the lawn and allowing a generous amount of daylight to enter.

The angular form of the plan is carried through to the treatment of the exterior which is formed from faceted copper, the triangular rooflight and the internal joinery. The wide angled reveals prevent overheating by noon day sun, whilst the rooflight allows a controlled amount of direct sunlight to always enter the building. The building was formed from a pre-fabricated lightweight steel frame bolted together in small sections to minimise disruption to the garden.

The structure was designed to avoid timber and ventilation zones in order to refine and simplify the appearance of the external copper planes. Internally, the building incorporates a large wine cellar accessed through the floor by electrically operated trapdoors. When closed, the main space allows unrestricted views of the garden, with fixed furniture and joinery fitted to the back walls.

Photography by Andrew Lee