Garden

Office

Design Concept

The brief initially requested a home office extension, but the site’s topography and the client’s requirements suggested a more imaginative solution. Rather than extending the existing house, we proposed a detached garden annexe that would provide greater flexibility whilst preserving the main building’s character and the property’s established garden views.

This approach transformed a potential constraint into an opportunity, delivering a building that functions independently whilst complementing the main house. The annexe can accommodate working from home, provide self-contained guest accommodation, or generate income through short-term letting—offering the client multiple revenue and lifestyle options.

The building’s prominent hillside position required careful consideration. Whilst many contemporary interventions in rural settings struggle to find appropriate expression, this design confidently embraces modern architecture whilst respecting its Conservation Area context through material choices and landscape integration.

Material Selection and Environmental Response

The grass roof represents the project’s defining feature, serving both practical and aesthetic purposes. When viewed from the main house, the living roof renders the annexe virtually invisible, preserving cherished garden vistas whilst creating valuable additional space. As seasons progress, the roof blends seamlessly with surrounding vegetation, demonstrating how contemporary architecture can enhance rather than compete with natural landscape.

Timber wall cladding provides warmth and texture whilst referencing traditional Somerset building materials in a modern idiom. The stone wall base anchors the structure to its site, responding to local vernacular without pastiche. Together, these natural, sustainable materials age gracefully, developing character as they weather.

The south-facing orientation maximises passive solar gain and natural daylight, reducing energy consumption whilst creating pleasant working conditions. Full insulation and underfloor heating ensure year-round comfort without compromising the building’s slender profile.

Site Challenges and Solutions

The steeply sloping garden presented significant technical challenges. Variable levels across the small plot required careful site analysis to identify the optimal building position and establish appropriate datum levels.

We created a level terrace to accommodate the structure, working with rather than against the site’s natural topography. This intervention minimised earth movement whilst providing a stable platform for construction and usable outdoor space adjacent to the annexe.

The grass roof’s environmental benefits extend beyond aesthetics. By disguising the building’s footprint when viewed from above, it addressed the client’s concern about protecting established garden views. The living roof also provides natural insulation, manages surface water runoff, and creates habitat for wildlife—delivering multiple sustainability benefits within a single design gesture.

Key Features

Contemporary garden annexe providing flexible workspace and guest accommodation in a Conservation Area setting, featuring a distinctive living grass roof that integrates the building seamlessly with its landscape whilst maintaining cherished garden views. South-facing glazing captures natural light and countryside vistas, whilst sustainable materials including timber cladding and stone base respond to Somerset’s architectural vernacular. Full insulation, underfloor heating, and dedicated shower room facilities enable year-round use as home office, guest suite, or Airbnb rental, with the building proving particularly valuable for remote working during evolving lifestyle patterns.

Project Outcome

The annexe has exceeded the client’s expectations, proving sufficiently valuable that they retained our practice for two subsequent projects. The building’s flexibility became particularly apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the self-contained workspace proved essential for safe home working and guest isolation.

Recognition by the Royal Institute of British Architects through selection for their Forty Best Small Projects Awards validates the design’s quality and innovation. This accolade reflects the project’s successful balance of contemporary architectural expression with sensitive site response—demonstrating that modest scale need not constrain design ambition or environmental performance.

The client continues to recommend our services based on this project’s success, testament to the enduring value of buildings designed to adapt alongside changing needs rather than serve single purposes.