Eight compact studios embedded into residential gardens

From converted garages to compact new-builds, we have rounded up eight studios that provide retreat and solitude for their owners in their own back gardens.

Featuring reclaimed materials, charred-timber facades and pared-back interiors, this list of garden spaces includes a converted workshop completed by designer Paul Westwood in the UK and a studio centred by a tree-shaped concrete structure in Belgium.

Photo by Lorenzo Zandri

Shou Sugi Bangers, UK, by Unknown Works

Charred timber wraps around this music studio completed by Unknown Works in the garden of a London home.

Named Shou Sugi Bangers, the studio's scalloped wooden cladding provides a series of nooks for external seating space, while the workspace is housed inside.

Find out more about Shou Sugi Bangers ›

Photo by James Retrief

Gardenhide Studio, UK, by Commonbond Architects

Commonbond Architects designed and built its own studio at the end of a garden in London that aims to showcase the potential of hempcrete as a building material.

The space was constructed from a cuboidal timber frame and reclaimed materials and is topped with a mono-pitched roof.

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Photo by Johnny Umans

T(uin)Huis Atelier, Belgium, by Atelier Janda Vanderghote 

Situated at the end of a garden in Ghent, Atelier Janda Vanderghote used simple materials such as concrete, brick and timber to create the T(uin)Huis Atelier.

The studio features a rhythmic facade made up of copper-toned framing, while the interior is defined by an open-plan layout organised around a tree-shaped concrete structure.

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Photo by Loes van Duijvendijk

Studio Shed, The Netherlands, by LMNL Office

Architecture studio LMNL Office completed the Studio Shed outbuilding as an addition to a home in Brabant, the Netherlands.

Crafted from prefabricated timber panels, the garden studio features a rectangular, compact form that was clad with earth-coloured clay tiles to echo the tiles of the main house.

Find out more about Studio Shed ›

Photo courtesy of TEDS

The Garden Retreat, UK, by The Environmental Design Studio

Reclaimed materials were used to create The Garden Retreat, which was added to a compact site in Cambridge by London practice The Environmental Design Studio.

The studio's facade is finished with stacked slate tiles bordered by concrete slabs. A waterfall feature and bird bath were also integrated into the facade to enhance biodiversity.

Find out more about The Garden Retreat ›

Photo by Daniel Mulhearn

Bush Studio, Australia, by Dane Taylor Design

Dane Taylor Design completed this multipurpose garden studio in New South Wales, which features a compact form clad with charred wood.

Named Bush Studio, the space serves as a private retreat nestled into the surrounding landscape and is complete with clerestory windows and a mono-pitched roof.

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Photo by Simon Kennedy

Dark Matter, UK, by Hyperspace

Converted from a suburban garage, this garden studio in Hertfordshire, England, features a charred-timber facade formed of 850 pieces of wood that doubles as an insect hotel.

A pivoting door opens up to the studio interior which contains a spacious workspace animated by two perforated "light chimneys".

Find out more about Dark Matter ›

Photo by Chris Wharton

Garden Office, UK, by Paul Westwood

Architect Paul Westwood used a pared-back material palette to complete the conversion of the dilapidated garage of his London home into a workshop and studio.

The existing garage was stripped back to its structural shell and features a large skylight, underfloor heating and a natural material palette.

Find out more about Garden Office ›