Harty and Harty designs Norfolk artist studio

harty and harty complete norfolk artist studio

This purpose-built artist studio in Norfolk is the latest offering by London-based architecture practice Harty and Harty.

(Image credit: Simon Kennedy)

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.

harty and harty complete artist studio — The brick and concrete structure is located within the plot of the client's main home.

harty and harty complete countryside artist studio — The clean and sharp interiors include a workspace, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

london architects harty and harty complete norfolk artist studio — The client also commissioned the pair to design bespoke furniture for the space, including a sofa, a bed, chairs and tables.

london architects harty and harty complete artist studio — The interior features birch veneer plywood, for example in the window shutters.

london architects harty and harty complete new build artist studio — Key green views, as well as light, were both important concerns in the design of the studio.

INFORMATION

For more information visit the website of Harty and Harty

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).