We designed a single-storey studio annexe that mirrors the plan of the existing mill, positioning it in dialogue with the mill house across the garden. Heat-treated sycamore, locally sourced and native to the area, clads the structure; it will weather over time, gradually losing itself against the boundary tree line. Inside, the two studios are planned around specific working practices: a north clerestory brings consistent, glare-free light into the woodworking workshop; a south oculus introduces human scale and marks the relationship back to the river and mill house; large rooflights meet the high light levels needed for detailed studio work. The material language, timber, zinc and corrugated roofing, references the light industrial heritage of the site rather than reaching for something picturesque. Full plywood wall linings give complete fixing flexibility for tools and materials, and a large pocket door between the two studio spaces controls noise and dust without sacrificing floor area.

The mill house itself has been stripped of later accretions and reconfigured to maximise living space. Working closely with Hampshire conservation officers and the SPAB, we exposed and retained a concealed bread oven discovered during enabling works, which set the tone for the kitchen: salvaged materials, lime plaster, linseed oil on lath-and-plaster walls. A water-source heat pump installed in the mill race now powers heating across the site, replacing fossil fuel systems without disturbing the original timber mill mechanism.

The result is a working studio and home that takes the full weight of the site's history and ecology seriously, and adds to it on its own terms.