Sandy Rendel Architects

A pair of modest garden buildings forming a gateway between a formal garden and the neighbouring woodland. One a workshop and store, the other a potting shed.

The simple rectangular forms and modular construction are disrupted by moments tuned specifically to their use. In some areas the skin pulls back from the roof to provide covered external workspace. In others it bulges out to enlarge the interior to suit the size of garden machinery it houses. Elsewhere the detail of the cladding twists into louvres that provide secure ventilation.

Over time the larch boards will weather to a silver grey that matches the zinc roofs and meld seamlessly into the backdrop of the wood.

Photography: David Grandorge and Sandy Rendel

Project: Little Harwood
Collaborators: Tim Lucas (Structural Engineer), John Miller (Main Contractor)
Client: Confidential
Building type: New Build Residential Outbuildings
Location: London, UK
Status: Completed
Publications: Architecture Today Oct 2000