Occupying the roof space of a garage, this project provides a studio office for a creative business in the South Hams. Creating a separation between home and work life, the space is discretely connected to the main house.

Accessed off the main circulation, a doorway leads to a small lobby and stair up to the main studio space. Lined in birch ply, this transition separates the two realms and acts as a threshold between the domestic and work environments.

The studio is south facing, with two large windows shielded by external overhangs to block summer sun while allowing solar penetration and heat gains in the winter. Rooflights on the northern elevation ensure the space is always bright. A dedicated doorway leads out to the driveway and allows access without going through the house.

Exposed timber beams and ply linings with concealed light fittings create a floating ceiling above the space, complemented by a datum of ply work benches and storage coordinated with window openings and finishes.

Externally the space is expressed as a zinc clad dormer in the roof slope. Detailed to break up its mass and scale, the windows are set within timber lined overhangs providing solar protection.

In a small village in the Dartmoor National Park, we worked closely with the planning authority to agree scale and detail.