An artist’s combined home and studio needs spaces that fulfil many different roles. Most artists like to keep the various parts of their lives separate, so home and work are often very different. The studio needs a sense of separation from the home, but without isolation - a space free of distraction. Indeed, this tension between workspace and living space becomes the key determinant of the design; the delicate play between separation and continuity, public and private in the architecture.

​

In the design of the studio, natural light and its diffusion through space is absolute key. There should be no distracting view accompanying this light - and that there should also be room for the display of the work, where visitors can view pieces without distracting the artist. It can also be conceived as an open atelier easily transformable to an exhibition space. And it is also important to understand the process of the artist and develop a circular strategy for the studio from delivery and storage of raw materials, through the various stages of fabrication and finishing, to photography and display, and then track that to physical space. 

​

The project was to design a home and studio for a ceramic artist, his sociologist wife and their four year old son. Even though the project was hypothetical, the client profile was based on a real family. The students had to interact with this family, understand their lifestyle, work, interests etc. and interpret it into a design brief. The site for the project was a small parcel of land in a dense residential neighbourhood with three existing trees in it.