A Room Around a Tree

A meticulously crafted garden room located around a mature cedar tree.

The clients came to us with a desire to create a multi-purpose space to the rear of their large garden for their growing family.
Our design process focussed on optimising the buildable area within the constrained site whilst retaining all the mature trees and maintaining the leafy woodland character of the garden.
    This analytic approach was combined with a concept for a floating, monolithic roof. The roof meanders and weaves its way through the branches of the large cedar tree at the centre of the site and blurs the distinction between indoor and outdoor areas.
      The material palette and structural design were optimised to work with the clients budget while at the same time reinforcing the conceptual clarity of the project.
        The architectural concept was rigorously translated into built form by our in-house team. The complex structure demanded a high degree of precision and coordination and comprised of fabricated steel components, visual masonry, Kerto engineered timber and specialised curved glazing.
          The lattice of engineered timber roof beams are clad in a ribbon of black steel cladding, creating a sense of weight and permanence. This sense of solidity is offset by the forest of thin steel columns that support the roof, creating a tension between heaviness and lightness - thick and thin.
            To promote a sense of sanctuary in the garden, a bespoke masonry boundary wall and covered outdoor deck combine to provide an acoustic and visual enclosure from taller neighbouring buildings.
              Internally a calming atmosphere is created through tactile materials, light and shadow. A black stained timber roof brings the outside environment to the foreground whilst providing depth and drama.
                A collection of bespoke elements punctuate the interior and celebrate our passion for making.

                A terrazzo sink pedestal.
                A handcrafted kitchen.
                  A custom designed, foldable storage unit on wheels is used to create multiple spatial configurations and maximise flexibility.

                    Technical Description

                    Status: Completed
                    Type: Multi-use Garden Room
                    Gross Internal Area: 29 sqm
                    Construction Cost: Confidential
                    Client: Private
                    Architect & Main Contractor: Tikari Works
                    Project Team: Ty Tikari, Nicola Tikari, Tom Fairley
                    Specialist Craftsmen: VT Construct
                    Structural Engineer: Built Engineers
                    Completed Photography: Dan Glasser & Tom Fairley
                    In Progress Photography: Tikari Works