Direct commission for a new garden room and Russian-style “Banya” sauna among the trees of a private garden in a Conservation Area in Hampstead, London.

The new structures have been carefully planned around the many existing mature trees and a steep slope. Mini-pile foundations will minimise impact on roots and offsets to tree trunks will ensure trees receive enough water and have room to grow.

The garden room has large glazed sliding doors to draw light from the garden and terrace into the timber-finished interior. A large wrap-around rooflight-window to the rear will give a dramatic framed view of the extensive woodlands behind. A small wood-burning stove can provide additional heat beyond the underfloor heating system. Clad in a textured impregnated larch, the main volume of the garden room will be a lighter tone than the smaller storage room and sauna building.

In a highly sensitive local context the planning consent was a notable achievement, involving extensive coordination with ecology and tree experts to demonstrate the viability of the proposals.

In collaboration with Black & Milk.