Micro Studio Portfolio Oliver Oddie
The Site Clun, The Shropshire Hills AONB
The site is located in the southern Shropshire hills AONB around a mile from the village Clun. A stones throw from the main house the site is perfectly located for a small studio space from which to work from
At the top of the valley the site overlooks the Clun village and beyond across the tops towards the welsh border. Flanked on two sides by mature oak trees these provide a backdrop to the studio in front. Looking down the hill the ground drops away sharply into a steep hill into the valley below.
Site Plan
Site higlighted in red
User Requirements Paper cutting studio As a keen paper cutter my micro studio is going to be a space primarily focused on reducing the distractions to allow my creativity and imagination to run free. Heavily inspired by natural landscapes and music I would like my micro studio to have windows that frame a view of the Clun valley below as well as the facilities to listen to music distraction free while working
https://robryanstudio.com/archive-categories/papercuts/
- Large desk facing window - Distraction free - Some storage for materials - Simple clutter free design When working I find it important to have my peripheral vision blocked or at least focused in a way that stops me from getting distracted.
https://robryanstudio.com/archive-categories/papercuts/
The Light Shed Richard John Andrews
The Light shed was built by the British architect Richard John Andrews as a multifunctional studio space separate from the house. Built using a lightweight timber frame and polycarbonate sheets for the roof the space is flooded with natural light. Clad in black corrugated fibreglass panels and lined internally with plywood the space is both incredibly beautiful whilst also being clean and simple.
https://www.homedit.com/small-garden-offices/architect-richard-john-andrews-backayrd-studio/
https://www.homedit.com/small-garden-offices/architect-richard-john-andrews-backayrd-studio/
There are several elements that I want to pull into my own design from this precedent, first of all the corrugations and colour of the cladding. The dark black of the cladding the way that it juxtaposes the beech ply of the interior really appeals to me. I think that this could be used especially well within my project as having a dark colour on the exterior of the building suggests that its dirty and agricultural, then as you move inside the tone lightens giving a sense of cleanliness. Having some kind of cladding that would create shadows that would change as the sun moves from east to west over the course of the day is definitely something I hope to incorporate into my micro studio. https://www.homedit.com/small-garden-offices/architect-richard-john-andrews-backayrd-studio/
The way that this studio has been designed with its bold geometric form and clean lines really contrasts with the straight and rectangular lines that you would normally expect. The irregularity of the sides and the fact that no two sides are the same or even remotely similar is something I want to incorporate into my own design. I also want to explore the use of shadow which this example uses very cleverly
https://hellowood.eu/project/workstation-cabin
The workstation cabin is pitched as a pebble shaped, eight square-meter wooden house that can function as an workstation, meeting room, kids play room or home retreat. Hello Wood Studio is a Budapest based architectural practice who designed the space to sit in the garden, thus acting an as addition to a home
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https://hellowood.eu/project/workstation-cabin
Workstation Cabin Hello Wood Studio
This cabin uses a skylight to cleverly flood the interior with light. The idea that the skylight is hidden from view creates a view that plays with the mind when looking from the outside as it is lit very brightly which juxtaposes the dark shadows of the doorways.
https://hellowood.eu/project/workstation-cabin https://hellowood.eu/project/workstation-cabin
Dune House
The dune house was built in 2014 in the Netherlands by Marc Koehler Architects. Appearing embedded into the landscape, hunkered down to survive the harsh environment in which it is placed The Dune House’s shape is determined by the very elements that surround it. Its unusual shape is carefully deigned harness the sunlight during short daylight hours as well as to deal with strong offshore winds due to its coastal location
Marc Koehler Architects
https://marckoehler.com/project/dune-house-i/
https://marckoehler.com/project/dune-house-i/
The dune house demonstrates several elements that I want to incorporate into my own design, the first of these is its location and relationship in the landscape. The site I have chosen is similar, being remote and exposed like this I am thinking of sinking it into the ground to give it a more earthly connection to the landscape that it sits in. It is buildings like this that sit so perfectly into their surroundings that have formed the basis of my thinking for this project. The shape is also similar to what I am looking to achieve with my design. I am looking to create something that has both a sense of chaos as well as simplicity and clean lines. The cladding also helps to create a sense of unity as each individual piece of joins perfectly at each face
https://marckoehler.com/project/dune-house-i/
Iteration 1
Drawing on inspiration from my precedents I started sketching basic shapes that incorporated the triangular and geometric elements I was looking for. Actually creating these models was much harder than I had anticipated as getting pieces to line up without introducing complex curves proved difficult.
The shape of this model I really like however when evaluating it it struck me that the amount of usable floor space in it would be very small due to the sloping walls. This is something that I continued to fight throughout my iterations. Having some form of variation in the roof line is also something that I made sure to keep a priority as the silhouette and rough shape will be most visible and I want it to reflect the rolling hills
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Iterative Sketches
Iteration 2
This iteration primarily focuses on trying to work on increasing space inside the studio by making the walls slightly more vertical. I also flattened the peak allowing the footprint to be wider without increasing overall height. The addition of a flattened section also allows for roof lights to be installed, thus flooding the interior with natural light.
This model was not as successful as I had hoped. One side of it (the left hand side on image to the left) turned out as I wished however on the other side the geometry isn’t quite right, this results in almost no difference in angle between the top flat section and the right hand side. This no only spoils the look but also depending in the orientation of the micro studio would either catch or avoid the sun.
Iteration 3 From this iteration onwards you can really see my final deign start to emerge. Drawing on my precedents for the geometric design and then adding in a large panoramic window to allow me to look out over the valley below. I also introduce the door the placement of which I think could be improved upon.
Above are some sketches of what it would look like if I built legs into thee design however I didn’t think this fitted with my vision of a low lying structure with minimal impact on the surroundings; almost a place to hunker down whereas adding legs would make it more exposed with no real gain
Iteration 4
The geometry and shape in this model had reached the point where I am pretty much happy with it. The way the roof slopes and reflects the rolling hills but with a contemporary twist. During the construction of this model I also focused on making sure that the floor plan provided enough space to move about. I wanted the space to feel cosy so was trying to strike that balance by not making it too smallt
You can see in the small sketch (above left) I began experimenting with having the panoramic window wrap around one end of thee studio to provide a more immersive experience. This would also make for a more space efficient use of the studio with the desk at one end as opposed to running along the wall, creating a long and narrow type corridor.
Final Iteration My final iteration took into consideration elements from my precedents as well as the changes I made through creating my models. The positioning of the panoramic window allows for a focused work space without distraction as well as veiws over the valley below. The skylight in the ceiling fills the room with natural light as well as allowing the walls to be spaced further apart maximising usable floor space due to the angle of the walls
Elevations
Section B-B
Sections
Section A-A
Top view
A A
Plan