Cooke Fawcett has redeveloped a 17th Century Grade II listed water mill, on the banks of the River Test in Hampshire, enhancing the dwelling with a new artist studio and maker’s workshop building, whilst also extending the existing home. Located in the bucolic setting of settling ponds and the River Test’s Mill Run, the project is a low energy refurbishment which preserves the charm of the heritage property and future-proofs it for years to come.
Commissioned by a creative couple moving out of London, the new studio is tailored to their respective practices - specialist picture framing and art/design for performance - providing dedicated space for their practices to flourish, immersed in nature on the banks of the Test. The project follows a theme in Cooke Fawcett’s recent work of making spaces which support creativity, often in unusual and sensitive existing settings.
Historically a site of industry and the location of a series of corn and paper mills, it is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a popular location for fly fishing. The design of the new studio annexe combines the qualities of the site: a lean, utilitarian design speaks to the light industrial heritage of the area whilst the use of timber harmonises it with the historic character of the Grade II listed mill and its waterside setting.
The mill house has been carefully refurbished with ancillary modifications stripped away. A reconfiguration of the plan maximises the living spaces whilst preserving the charm and character of the original house. At the northeast corner of the house, a new ground floor extension wraps the house, creating a spacious glazed open plan dining/sitting room accessed via the kitchen. It sits in dialogue with the new annexe, an elegant single storey structure which mirrors the plan of the existing mill. The new architectural additions are timber framed with overhanging roofs so that they sit in concert across the picturesque garden, reading as part of the same family.
Sycamore, a species which is native to the UK and prevalent in the area, was selected to clad the annexe as a locally sourced low carbon solution. It has been heat treated and will weather over time, dematerialising into the row of mature trees lining the boundary of the site. The material language of the new works - timber, zinc and Cladco corrugated roofing - finds inspiration in the light-weight earth-friendly elemental structures of Glenn Murcutt, a nod to the client’s Australian heritage.
The annexe has a shared entrance at the centre of the plan and each studio has a secondary entrance facilitating materials deliveries. A verandah at the far end provides exterior working space which is sheltered under the eaves of the projecting roof. Built from weathered Jarrah wood sleepers it also serves to ground the new building into its landscape.
Internally the spaces are functional and straightforward – two naturally lit voluminous workspaces with exposed structure and concrete floors, with adjacent storage, a shared utility room, and a separate darkroom at the rear. The workshop accommodates large scale machinery including a wood processing unit and features an adjacent space for storing tools and materials for picture framing. In a space where wall space is at a premium for use for storage of tools and materials, full plywood linings offer complete flexibility for fixings. The studio space features space for moveable drawing tables and plan chests and is lined with built-in storage for the display of models. A large pocket door offers generous access to storage space without sacrificing area to door swings. A wide double door opening at the centre of the plan closes off the two spaces to isolate noise and dust, whilst allowing for flexible working between the two spaces.
Moments of refinement elevate the architectural experience of the building beyond simple function: the long north clerestory opens the building to the trees and brings even north light into the workshop, allowing focused woodwork to take place at all hours of the day; the round oculus in the south elevation introduces a sense of abstraction and human scale, reconnecting the studio back to the mill house. In both spaces, large rooflights create high levels of natural light to the spaces – critical to the clients’ working practices.
Cooke Fawcett worked closely with Hampshire conservation officers and the SPAB to develop a scheme which is respectful of and enhances the listed mill. Enabling works on the site led to the discovery of the mill house’s bread oven, concealed behind a brick wall, which has been retained, leading to a make-do-and-mend aesthetic in the kitchen which incorporates salvaged upcycled furniture. After decades as an unloved rental property, a palette of natural materials - including wood fibre insulation and lime plaster and linseed on the lathe and plaster walls - have been used to reinstate the hand-crafted character of the house. The project merges traditional building techniques and materials with state-of-the-art modern tech, with the installation of a new water sourced heat pump powering heating across the site, enabling a transition from fossil fuel powered heating to renewables. The mill, which retains its original timber mechanism, remains untouched, the only intervention being the installation in the mill race of the heat pump.
A short train ride from London’s Waterloo, the new studio and workshop provides a welcoming creative retreat for artistic practice and an enticing space in which to meet clients and collaborators away from the city, immersed in the slow pace of nature. Plans are in development to host artist residences and workshops so that a wider network of makers can benefit and be inspired by its idyllic setting.
Oliver Cooke, Director, Cooke Fawcett, said: “Designing the new workshop and studio space has been a fantastic opportunity to make something highly specific to both client and place. The design evolved through a collaborative process of testing and iterating. It speaks directly to the fact that this is a now a place for both working and living – utilitarian, robust and flexible, whilst also contextual, attractive and uplifting.”
Miriam Nabarro, commissioning client, said: “the studio is a magical light filled space: immersed in nature, next to the river you are very aware of being surrounded by green. It is a brilliant space to dream up projects.. and where several processes and projects can co-exist in different stages. After years of renting draughty neglected studio spaces in Hackney it’s wonderful to be in a warm, light workspace where I can seamlessly move inside to outside…
Simon Quinn, commissioning client, said: “The design process has been very collaborative and iterative as we’ve responded to discoveries on site. We now feel like custodians of the site and our building gives us a great facility in which to make new work which is also inspired by unique place.