Harty and Harty design the perfect artist’s studio in Norfolk
If all a writer needs to find inspiration is a secluded cabin in the woods, then the artist’s equivalent would be a light-filled, purpose-built studio with amazing views; and this is exactly what an artist in Norfolk got, when she hired London architects Stephen and Annabelle Harty of Harty and Harty to create a new workspace on the grounds of her main home.
The structure is a minimalist, sharp and simple space made of local brick and cast in-situ concrete and topped with a green roof. Raw materials and rough finishes create a slightly austere aesthetic, but also a clean palette and flexible space for the client’s artistic explorations.
Inside, the building includes a workspace, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom; here the brick and concrete are complimented by birch veneer plywood on cladding and details such as the window shutters. The cantilevered roof creates a sheltered terrace on one end, while the raised floor level remains connected to the outdoors through large openings and stairways on three different spots.
The quality of light inside the studio and the carefully orientated views towards the house and surrounding greenery – such as the nature and waterways of the Norfolk broads – were both key concerns, as per the client’s brief. A clerestory window in the studio, for example, brings in valuable north light. The small structure, spanning roughly 80 sq m, was meant to provide space for both work and rest.
The client also commissioned the practice to design a series of bespoke furniture pieces for the space, such as a sofa, a bed, chairs and tables; taking this relatively compact project to whole new level, where architecture, design and art meet in perfect synergy.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the website of Harty and Harty
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
A new book highlights the work of Turkish interior designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu
‘Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu: Luxury Redefined’, published by Rizzoli, traces the career of leading Istanbul-based designer Zeynep Fadillioglu, the first woman to design a mosque in Turkey
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
London gallery Incubator’s six emerging artists to see in spring 2024
Incubator's spring programme features six artists in consecutive two-week solo shows at the London, Chiltern Street gallery
By Mary Cleary Published
-
Blue Copper Loft is a Dubai sanctuary for a modern nomad
Blue Copper Loft designed by Anarchitect in the heart of Dubai is a peaceful, yet luxurious sanctuary for a modern nomad
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Stephen Friedman Gallery by David Kohn is infused with subtly playful elegance
Stephen Friedman Gallery gets a new home by David Kohn in London, filled with elegant details and colourful accents
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Henry Wood House’s postmodernist bones are refreshed by Nice Projects in London
Nice Projects breathes new life into the Henry Wood House in London, offering ample flexible office spaces for modern workers
By Daven Wu Published
-
‘Bio-spaces’ exhibition at Roca London Gallery celebrates biophilic design
‘Bio-Spaces: regenerative, resilient futures’ opens at the Roca London Gallery as ‘a call to action to stop designing nature out’
By Clare Dowdy Published
-
Don’t Move, Improve 2024: London’s bold, bright and boutique home renovations
Don’t Move, Improve 2024 reveals its shortlist, with 16 home designs competing for the top spot, to be announced in May
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Timber-framed Wimbledon house is a minimalist, low-energy affair
A new timber-framed Wimbledon house is designed to blend into its traditional surroundings with a neat brick façade, careful massing and pared back interiors
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
London Science Museum’s Energy Revolution gallery champions sustainable exhibition design
The Energy Revolution gallery opens at London’s Science Museum, exploring decarbonisation through sustainable exhibition design by Unknown Works
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This South Downs house stands as a testament to the value of quiet refinement
At one with the landscape, a South Downs house uses elements of quintessential country villas and midcentury gems with modern technologies
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Ash Tree House offers a contextual approach to a north London site
Ash Tree House by Edgley Design is a modern family home in a north London conservation area's backyard site
By Ellie Stathaki Published