RICHARD ANDREWS

The architect built his garden studio over a period of six months. It also functions as a cinema room and extra bedroom

From the outset, this was intended to be a comfortable space so we knew we wanted it to comply with building regulations [not required for many garden rooms]. We also worked with our structural engineer to develop a less invasive foundation system, which used concrete pads rather than strip foundations to minimise our impact on the ground.

The asymmetric roofline echoes that of our house extension but also hides an exterior staircase on the building behind. By raising it on one side, it has given us privacy and stopped us from being overlooked; and by dropping the other, it’s allowed us to follow the growth of the tree behind.

The walls are clad in bitumen-soaked corrugated fibreglass, a lightweight, cost-effective, fire-resistant material usually used for roofing. I like its aesthetics, too – each indent creates a vertical shadow that adds depth to the façade and it has a lovely texture, which is important when it’s in your eye-line.

We’ve used light-diffusing polycarbonate panels for the roof. They don’t weigh much and are easy to install, and good for lighting the space naturally without casting strong shadows.

An unexpected benefit has been the increase in wildlife in the garden. The sycamore tree drips sap onto the studio roof, which attracts aphids, which, in turn, attract blue tits and robins whose shadows we can see. We hear their feet shuffling about – it’s really connecting. richardjohnandrews.co.uk

‘AN UNEXPECTED BENEFIT HAS BEEN THE INCREASE IN WILDLIFE

IN THE GARDEN’