In a quiet South West London backyard, a small building rises like a playful secret, tucked behind a terrace and shaded by garden trees. Designed by Studio Ben Allen, this backyard structure serves as both an office and a guest retreat, a clever solution for a family that had simply run out of room inside their home. With two young children, the owners wanted a place where work, play, reading, and rest could coexist in one compact, flexible space.
Clad in green shingles that allow it to blend partially into the garden, the studio arrived as a flat pack kit of parts, fully fabricated on a CNC machine, ready for assembly. What might have seemed a complex architectural feat was reduced to a precise, almost playful exercise in geometry and craftsmanship.
Inside, the interior reveals a combination of grey and green tones that complement the garden outside. Exposed wood framing converges at the ceiling, giving the room a sense of height and verticality beyond its modest footprint. By the window, a desk is carefully angled to match the walls, creating a workspace that feels both intimate and expansive. Across from it, a built-in bench conceals a fold-out bed, allowing the studio to transform instantly into a guest space or a cozy nap spot for the children.
The structure’s geometry is equally inventive. Octagonal walls rise to meet a hexagonal roof, which in turn frames a square skylight. This subtle layering of shapes creates a central focus that draws the eye upward, while also bringing natural light deep into the room. The technical features match the clever design, underfloor heating, lighting, a rooflight, and an extract fan with a humidistat are all connected to a smartphone, making climate control simple, precise, and energy-efficient.
What makes this studio particularly remarkable is how it blends advanced digital fabrication with the idea of an accessible, self-build project. Every element is numbered and pre-cut, slots into place, and requires no on-site cutting. The CNC-cut timber pieces not only maximize structural performance but also reduce dust and noise, creating a cleaner and healthier building process. The entire structure is designed for circularity, every component can be dismantled, reused, or recycled, reflecting a commitment to sustainability rarely seen in small-scale residential projects.
In total, with a small team, the main frame went up in just two days, external linings in four, and the internal finishes including heating and furniture in another four, amounting to 20 person-days. The only specialists needed were the spray insulation contractor and an electrician. The result is a backyard building that feels both architecturally significant and surprisingly attainable, a true demonstration of how modern design can adapt to family life and urban constraints.
Studio Ben Allen has created a space that is at once playful, precise, and deeply attuned to family life, offering a model for the future of modular, self-build architecture.