A garden studio shaped by light, material restraint, and the rhythms of making.

Artist Kristie Severn approached Graham Baba to expand her painting studio, beginning with a backyard structure that was barely large enough to house her graphic design office. The program called for a compact office and a larger open studio, designed to support both focused work and creative production.

Developed in close collaboration with the artist, the addition takes the form of an irregular volume carefully set within the garden, balancing interior workspace with the surrounding landscape. The studio functions as both a quiet place to work and an intimate gallery for small exhibitions and gatherings.

The office occupies the original structure as an elevated refuge, connected to the studio by a subtle change in level. A continuous skylight washes the combined spaces with even daylight, unifying old and new. A restrained palette of exposed, efficient materials serves as both structure and finish, creating a calm backdrop for the artist’s work.