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Sri Bhani

Office Sian has been commissioned to design accommodation for a UK based client who has recently purchased a plot of vacant land in rural north India. The client wishes to develop a small family dwelling which can be used as a holiday home on frequent trips to India.

The clients approached Office Sian with the intension to reconfigure the ground floor of their home to allow for a larger family room and kitchen. This existing house is located at an angle on a corner site of a busy main road. The requirement to separate different types of food in storage and when cooking formed the basis for a design concept and form which explored ideas of separation after movement, and the junction with old and new. Situated in a domestic garden in Hackney, the new ‘shed’ replaces a dilapidated asbestos-ridden and spider-filled hut, and acts as a working studio for the Clients. The client’s brief stipulated a storage and work area to be used when the clients worked from home, and also an adaptable ‘entertaining area’ for visiting friends and family.

Built to a limited budget and timescale, the simple aesthetic of the materials is celebrated to create a functional and warm urban haven. Oak framed full-height doors are completely retractable and allow for a clear view of the garden. A library, situated within the structural members, maximises the usable floor area, and a ‘hidden’ rooflight at the rear of the space playfully frames an unexpected glimpse of the sky.