MARK BRINKLEY is the author of the ever-popular Housebuilder’s Bible and an experienced self-builder
Our plans for a loft office were kicked into touch by a conservation officer who argued that such a structure would be out of keeping for our neighbourhood. As a result, my man cave was relocated into a newly built studio at the end of our garden, from where I am writing this piece. The fact that I can see four loft conversions from where I sit and that I happen to know that there are another 12 within a quarter of a mile is, in the great scheme of things, neither here nor there now, as I now love my garden studio.
Garden studios are very popular in these parts it seems. Since we built ours, the same local company, My Space, has built two more in adjacent gardens. They are pretty simple to build. In this example, the insulated timber frame was built on site on top of block pad foundations, and clad with western red cedar and an EDPM rubber roof. Ours is quite small, at 3.5m x 3.5m, making just one room, which doubles as an overflow bedroom. There is no plumbing, and therefore no sink or loo, so it’s not what you would call a self-contained unit. Coffee, tea and toilet breaks require a 15-metre hike up the garden and into the house.