As architects, the opportunity to design your own studio is staggering. Every possibility presents itself, again and again. 

When we began designing our new workspace, located on a complex and previously neglected corner of the town centre, our overriding ambition was to create a building that genuinely enhanced its setting.

While this is often achieved through material choice, scale and careful detailing, we were keen to explore impact in a broader, more dimensional sense.

Externally, the building is clad in a living wall - a hydroponic system with built-in irrigation and water recycling that allows the planting to filter air and emissions, acting as a living, breathing lung within its urban context. Internally, the building’s expression responds to the layered social character of this part of town, using handmade, accelerated and coated Corten steel. Its oxidising process creates a permanent, richly textured finish and a strong sense of visual depth.

Deep window reveals reduce solar gain, and exceptionally thick insulated walls and building envelope ensure minimal background heating. A bespoke and highly experimental Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery system provides all heating and cooling requirements, supported by PV generation and battery storage, resulting in near-zero reliance on grid energy.

Embodied carbon was minimised at every stage, with the living wall continuing to offset impact through ongoing carbon capture.