Our client on this Sussex garden room project is a sculptor who contracted us to build a timber-clad studio space for her work. The contemporary studio design was completed by a local architect with the intention of merging it stylishly into both the quirky garden shape and the rural surroundings. In order to create the strong foundation for the studio, we carried out considerable drainage and groundworks prior to pouring the reinforced concrete raft. The construction of the initial steel frame was a complex procedure, followed a few days later by the building of the timber frame. Whilst the garden room walls were fairly straightforward to construct, the more technically-challenging roof kept us busy for a few days!

The next stage was all about the cladding and making sure the building would be protected from the elements, primartily the wind and the rain. With this in mind, we first sheathed the frame in OSB along with a breathable membrane, then counter-battened it and fitted the vertical larch cladding Because the roof was also to be clad in larch we had to make sure that there was a protective coating underneath to keep the rain away and for this created a fibreglass coating over the entire roof including the hidden gutter. As we’d done with the walls, we then fitted the counter battens and finished off with the larch cladding.

Moving inside our main focus initially was the floor which needed to be strong enough to withstand the weight of the 3 huge kilns used by our client for her work. We laid an insulated and screeded reinforced floor to this end. All the internal walls and the ceiling were plaster-boarded, skimmed and painted white throughout. A small toilet area was then created and a washing facility was fitted and plumbed in. The impressive bi-fold doors were added to the rear of the studio affording a fabulous view of the beautiful garden. The bespoke front doors and the contemporary skylights finished off the project and ensured the inclusion of plenty of natural light into this inspirational artist’s space.