A brick and timber garden studio for a filmmaker and artist in Highbury, London

At the far end of a leafy Victorian garden in Highbury, O'Sullivan Skoufoglou Architects has built a small workspace for a creative couple, a filmmaker and an artist. Placing it at the bottom of the plot keeps the view from the house across the mature garden intact. Co-founder Amalia Skoufoglou says the aim was a building that felt "quiet yet present", rather than one that competed with the garden or the house.

The detail worth noticing is the low brick plinth. It echoes the garden's brick boundary walls and nods to Victorian glasshouses, which traditionally sat on low brick walls. Above it rises a lightweight timber structure, chosen so the upper part of the building stays visually light.

Inside there is one open workroom and a bathroom. A built-in desk runs the length of the generous east-facing windows, so morning light and the changing garden become part of the working day. The timber frame is left exposed in the roof and the brick shows at the base, with painted pine lining the walls in between. Smaller windows frame the trees while keeping neighbours out of view.

This is a private home, so there's nothing to visit. It's a thoughtful read for anyone weighing up a garden studio of their own and wondering how to make it sit kindly beside an older house.

Our summary of a story from Dezeen, published 31 October 2026. Read the original

Photos: Dezeen · See all 8