Palm Bay Studio

Set back from the pavement line with generous front gardens, the streetscape is defined by a distinctive pattern of garages set forward of the buildings. These garages are too small to fit a modern car so are typically now used for storage. Most properties have been subject to unsympathetic alterations and sea of white uPVC windows, doors and rainwater goods dominates.

With their brief, the client sought to find a more considered and appropriate way to convert & extend their garage to provide a flexible studio space and connect this back to the original dwelling. The building fabric of the garage was also failing and needed significant repair to facilitate the new use.

The solution was to replace the existing garage entirely with a new enlarged structure that provided the additional space necessary whilst adhering to the forward building line, respecting the form and rhythm of the streetscape, and creating a thermally efficient, structurally sound envelope. A new glazed lobby provides the connecting link to the existing house and reframes the front entrance to the property.

A tight budget necessitated creative construction solutions and a restrained palette of materials was developed. Externally, a dark red brick was selected to respect that of the original dwelling, with a bond to match. A recessed aperture to the street elevation references the original garage door opening and full height aluminium framed windows continue the lines of this reference and contribute to the restrained & rational exterior.

Internally, exposed finishes and fittings give the new space a distinct identity. Coastal light floods the interior through strategically placed glazing, which provides a subtle balance of privacy and openness allowing a sense of seclusion within the studio despite its prominent location.

Annual CO2 emissions data (requested in kg/m2/year) was provided as follows: 0.40 tonnes of CO2e