DarkMatter

Located in Hertfordshire, this is no ordinary garden office, and instead offers a tranquil and spacious environment to work. The brief for the 35m2 studio included the need for a design that complemented virtual working; with textured backgrounds and a variety of places to sit and work. The studio has a simple rectangular plan, with one corner cut away to form the entrance, and an extra wide pivoting door to create the feeling of a threshold. There are hooded window stoops to work from or contemplate in, rain or shine. Aptly named ‘Dark Matter’, the studio’s façade has a moody, tapestry-like quality with 850 scales made of charred timber, a Japanese process provides each square with a variety of subtle charred patterns, differing depending on the intensity of the heat used to treat the wood. The gaps between the chamfered scales are designed to foster biodiversity in the garden, acting as a giant “bug hotel” for insects to hibernate within. The light and warm interior contrasts with the black façade, white oiled timber rafters and pale poplar plywood panels lining the walls. Two 'light chimneys' hang from the roof with a perforated pattern which mimics the dappled sunlight that softly streams through a tree’s canopy. Creating a sustainable design with a minimal carbon footprint was key to the client & architect. 95% of the initial structure is reused in the final design, including steel lintels, block work and roof timbers, limiting the amount being sent to landfill. The roof structure allowed the reuse of 100% of the material, both in the new studio and another Hyper_ project, staying true to the circular economy principles the studio was found on.