Artist's Studio, Cambridgeshire

Whilst employed by architectural, interior design and planning specialists,
The English Listed, St Ives, Cambs www.englishlisted.com as part of their design team.

The brief on this project was to create a tranquil and light-infused bespoke studio for one of Britain's leading contemporary artists.

Kingswillow House, the Grade II Listed, modernist house by Dyson and Hebeler, is a unique, inter-war family home that epitomises the Modern Movement school of architecture.

We were delighted to be commissioned by the owners to design, gain planning permission and build a highly bespoke contemporary art studio within the grounds of this important historical house and to restore an outbuilding in keeping with the house to form an office.

Sitting within a heavily wooded part of the site, the brief was to create a multi-functional space that sat well in its beautiful environment, where light and space were paramount, distraction minimised and voluminous blank wall spaces for large works were central. Several mature trees defined the site, so the new building was designed to ‘float’ above the ground using screw piles to ensure disruption to the site is minimal.

From an aesthetic perspective, a palette of natural and contemporary materials was selected such as structural glazing, corten fenestration and detailing and shousugiban charred wood cladding that will weather and grey over time. Living walls filled with shade-loving plants add seasonal interest and help bed the building into its setting. A polished concrete floor, soft white walls and large skylights all serve to ensure natural light is maximised within the studio. A specialist colour correct lighting system ensures that artworks are always accurately represented with true colour and without shadows. Internal detailing, including cabinetry, large flexible modular storage units and a ladder to the open mezzanine storage have been constructed in birch ply to create a contemporary, studio aesthetic.

An outbuilding immediately adjacent to the main house has been given a new lease of life to form a smart office and visitor reception area. Specialist recessed LED lighting casts directional light onto an art viewing wall. Interior fittings and furnishings have been sourced from Soho Home, Kast and Hay and Corston.