The rear garden of a nineteen century Victorian terraced house in Hackney was expectantly awaiting a fresh start. Previous renovation works and a rear addition to the main house had left the garden in a state of disrepair. This was home to an artist looking to expand their studio space outdoors and create a new landscape to be explored as a living backdrop for work-in-progress artwork.

The pavilion is flexible in its use as a studio, a workshop and an informal exhibition space within the garden setting. It sits in the corner to the west of the rear garden gate defining a winding path that delays the moment of arrival at the house. Our approach was to engage with the tradition of timber garden buildings and explore the connections between the various elements that compose the new garden - landscape, vegetation, fences - to create a harmonious whole.

A generous northeast facing picture window allows for a soft and uniform light to bathe the pavilion’s interior space. It frames the landscape it sits within as well as the repetition of the brick terrace and its butterfly roofs. The vertical larch battens articulate the different components at play by cladding the pavilion, offering a backdrop to the pyracantha tree and providing a new face to the existing party fence. This continuous gesture accommodates the pavilion openings and a new planter, setting a datum on which the roof sits. The latter is expressed through an aluminium fascia and a fine protrusion that harmonizes the sense of height throughout.

The elemental character of the garden is emphasized by the minimal palette of materials which are applied respectfully to their natural appearance. As it ages the pavilion is absorbed back into the density of the growing garden.