Cork Studio
We were commissioned by a musician and seamstress couple to design a shared workspace for their bijou north London garden.
Shortlisted for RIBA London Awards 2017.
The extremely tight site and the greenery of the neighbouring gardens were significant design drivers for the scheme. Externally, the study is wrapped with an innovative cork cladding that forms the weatherproofing layer and acts as a thermal and acoustic insulator. The natural earthy quality of the thick cork combined with wild flower roof also helps nestle the building into its organic green surroundings.
Internally, the simple volume is lined with birch plywood. To help create the feeling of space with the limited floor area, the furniture – also in birch plywood – is cantilevered off the walls. Bathed in natural light via a generous skylight, the desk unit is divided by a central slot window. The interior space can be opened up to a small garden area by sliding the oak framed pocket door fully out of view.
As a whole, the scheme is a very sustainable project. Timber internal linings, an all timber structural frame and the wild-flower sedum roof are used in conjunction with the fantastically sustainable cork cladding. Formed from the re-harvestable bark of cork-oak trees, the innovative expanded cork blocks are completely additive free and significantly carbon negative.
