PatersonArchitects

 

Our client, an artist working in graphite, acrylic, and watercolour, creates highly detailed monochrome drawings based on photographs—either collected or self-taken. The meticulous focus required for this process demands an environment of complete calm, free from unnecessary distraction.

 

The brief called for two distinct additions: a detached drawing studio and a new kitchen extension. Both interventions had to be sensitively integrated into the setting of a mature suburban garden.

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The existing kitchen, previously enclosed by a conservatory, was dark and inward-facing. Its replacement opens to the east and south with large windows, flooding the space with natural light and creating a bright, generous room that enjoys sunlight throughout the day.

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In contrast, the detached studio was designed to eliminate direct sunlight and maintain stable, diffuse lighting conditions. Its carefully oriented north- and west-facing windows illuminate two connected volumes with even, consistent light—ideal for focused, uninterrupted work.

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The existing garden was restructured around the new interventions, creating a sequence of courtyard spaces using a restrained palette of materials: raised beds with grass or pebbles, timber steps and decking, and granite paving for the paths and patio, shaded by a timber pergola. Together, the garden and new structures form a unified setting—well-proportioned, tactile, and layered—offering places for solitude and shared family life alike.

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Structural Engineer David Narro Associates Main Contractor R M Richardson Construction Darlington Ltd