London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

An Architect Builds an Elegant Modular Office in His Backyard Garden

An Architect Builds an Elegant Modular Office in His Backyard Garden

Proving beautiful design can be achieved in small spaces and on a small budget, an architect crafts a home office for his emerging practice in East London.

After completing a cork-clad extension to his terraced home in London, architect Richard John Andrews was ready to tackle his next project: an office in his back garden.

Creating a bespoke studio space would no doubt be a challenge-a limited budget, space constraints, and site conditions necessitated lightweight and low-cost materials-but Andrews, who prefers the flexibility of a self-build that could be used for both work and play, knew the endeavor would be worthwhile.



The Light Shed is wrapped in bituminous fiberglass corrugated mini profile cladding on battens with an UV open cladding membrane behind.

Since all construction needed to be handled on-site, Andrews developed a modular system of timber framing based on an eight-by-four sheet of plywood. He and an assistant prefabricated the lightweight panels complete with the structure, membranes, battens, and cladding of black lightweight corrugated fiberglass panels. The panels were installed by hand and bolted down onto a finished timber base structure supported on a foundation of small concrete pads poured in-situ.



The compact 130-square-foot office interior offers enough space for two to three people. The insulated floors are lined with Monckton Green vinyl by The Colour Flooring Company.



The bespoke joinery, desks, drawers, and vanity unit were also fabricated by Andrews on-site.

"As a project that was designed and built in-house, we had the unique opportunity to hone our knowledge of construction which will no doubt strengthen our approach to future work," says Andrews, who worked on the project on weekends and in his free time, and completed the office in 21 days across six months.

"Most importantly I wanted to create a comfortable and relaxed working environment as my practice’s first dedicated studio space. The project has been a refreshing reminder of what can be achieved when scale and budget are limited."



The view from Andrews’ Cork House extension to the Light Shed.

Since everything would be fabricated on-site, the materials-mainly plywood-needed to be lightweight and small enough to hand carry through the house to the back garden. Though the material palette was simple and low-cost, Andrews successfully crafted a welcoming space that feels much larger than its roughly 170-square-foot size, achieved with a minimalist design, an abundance of natural light, and the bespoke glazed doors that pull in views of the outdoor landscape.



Andrews fabricated the bespoke sliding door system on-site using SDS London Sliding Door Gear. The timber is finished in OSMO UV Oil.



The bespoke sliding door system conceals a small storage closet accessed from the outdoor deck.

The interior is bathed in diffused light let in by polycarbonate rooftop panels that also inspired the project’s name-The Light Shed. The soft lighting creates an ideal environment for model making, while harsh direct sunlight was strategically blocked on the east, south, and west sides.



The exposed pine beams finished in OSMO oil support the polycarbonate opal/diffused panels set on aluminum glazing bars.

Securing planning was a straightforward process, says Andrews. "The council got behind the submission because they thought it was of high quality in terms of design. It is nicely proportioned within the small garden, still leaves a sensible amount of garden area which has been planted and integrated with seating, and is of ancillary use to the main house."



The mature sycamore tree informed the asymmetry of the roof, which also mirrors the roofline of the main house and helps blocks views into the back garden, which has been revamped with cork seating and planters.

Though Andrews knows his practice will inevitably outgrow the Light Shed’s tiny footprint, he still welcomes the flexibility of the beautiful home office for family use. "If as a studio we can prove that such concept design successes are easy and inexpensive to realize, surely this approach can be discussed more positively instead of just something to overcome when designing an architectural intervention, no matter what the scale," he says.

"With current trends showing peoples’ willingness to explore alternatives to creating additional space as a means of maximizing their home-life, the Light Shed offers a superior solution to the common garden shed or summer house at a similar cost."



Superior insulation protects against temperature fluctuations. "We only require a Dyson Hot+Cold air to heat and cool the space. On really hot days, the large front sliding door system creates an opening of 2000mm (h) x 1300mm (w), which creates a very comfortable place to work and relax."



The office also includes a small bathroom.



The Light Shed ground floor plan



The Light Shed section

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×