Muckhart Pottery Studio

Along with the studio, the scheme includes a utility area with wc, storage space, and a covered external verandah which looks over the beautiful and tranquil garden. Retaining the shell of the existing garage (floor slab and walls – the defunct flat roof was removed), and reusing the concrete foundations and below-ground drainage of a previous, unrealised, project minimised the carbon footprint of the proposed building. Both old and new elements are clad in timber and roofed in aluminium, giving a coherent aesthetic across the scheme. The building fabric focusses on the use of sustainably sourced timber throughout; whether in the wall construction, the exposed timber rafters and verandah canopy, or the timber cladding. This materiality gives a gentle warmth, which works well in the rural village context. Large glazed openings offer lots of natural light to the studio and provide good views over the attractive garden. The well-insulated and airtight building fabric ensures that energy consumption, emissions, and running costs are kept to a minimum. While the scale of the building is modest, it provides a flexible space which is used successfully in a number of ways, not least for making pottery, which was its original intention. The project, which effectively retrofits the original utilitarian garage, while creating a new pottery studio space is a good example of the way that good quality design can prolong, enhance and renew the life of existing buildings and structures.