Architecture studio ByOthers has completed its own studio in the garden of a home in Peckham, south London, clad in finned panels of weathered steel.
Called Garden Studio, the building sits behind the home of ByOthers founder Richard Keys and was designed to showcase the young practice's approach and ethos.
"This project is really a representation of how we engage with architecture and design," Keys told Dezeen. "We needed a space for the studio, so we thought why not build one and examine the process as a whole, from design to construction."
"The materials needed to be simple, cost-effective and have their own natural beauty," he added. "Setting these constraints made us really think how to achieve something special without it being over-designed."
The structure comprises three timber-framed blocks that gradually increase in size towards the rear of the garden to create a stepped form. Each step is topped by a differently angled area of roof and features tall, thin windows.
While there are no hard boundaries between these blocks, they have been conceived to each house a different function, with desks for working at the front of the space and an area for meetings at the centre.
At the rear of the studio, a kitchenette, storage and bathroom pod is wrapped in iridescent dipped steel, contrasting the pale timber panels that line the rest of the interior and helping to bounce light around the space.
Externally, the studio has been clad in reddish-brown weathered steel, chosen to create a vibrant contrast with the green of the surrounding planting and garden.
"The studio is clad in a series of custom Corten steel panels, with each U-shape beam inverted to show the method of fastening and celebrate the studio's construction," said the practice.
"A ridge line steps from corner to corner, creating a playful, undulating roof which is expressed internally," it continued.
Entry into to the Garden Studio is via a large, glass pivot door, which provides natural light and views back towards the house across a patio space.
Due to access restrictions on the site, the timber-framed studio was designed entirely from components small enough to be carried through the narrow hallway of the existing home before assembly.
The Garden Studio is the first completed building by ByOthers, which was founded in late 2020 by Keys. Prompted by the coronavirus pandemic and a greater shift towards working from home, many architects have been exploring the garden studio typology.
Architect Paul Westwood converted the dilapidated garage of his London home into a studio and workshop. See more examples in Dezeen's round-up of ten "playful and beautiful" studios from around the world.
The photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.