A semi-retired orthopaedic surgeon living in a detached Edwardian house near Kew Green wanted a home gym focused on injury prevention and joint health. Years of standing in operating theatres had taken a toll on his back and knees, and his physiotherapist recommended a dedicated space for daily rehab exercises and low-impact strength training. His large, south-facing rear garden was screened by mature copper beech trees, providing a secluded setting for a 5m x 3.5m build.

We fitted cushioned performance flooring, a Pilates reformer bed along one wall, a compact cable machine, and a treatment bench for stretching. The full-height glazing on the garden side opens to a small timber deck, allowing him to warm up outdoors when the weather permits. We used western red cedar cladding to give the building a warm, organic appearance that sits harmoniously alongside the established planting.

He told us the gym has become central to his daily routine. He trains every morning before breakfast and has noticed a significant improvement in his mobility and pain levels. His wife uses the Pilates reformer in the afternoons, and their GP daughter has started bringing her own patients’ exercise plans to try in the space. The building blends so well with the garden that visitors often mistake it for an original outbuilding.

A botanical illustrator who works with the Royal Botanic Gardens on a freelance basis needed a dedicated studio close to her subject matter. She lived in a Victorian terraced house on Sandycombe Road and had been working in the box room, which lacked the natural light her detailed watercolour work demanded. We built a Midi at 4.5m x 3.5m with a large north-facing roof light and a full-width window overlooking her cottage garden.

The interior was fitted with a custom drawing table, flat file storage for finished botanical plates, and open shelving for reference books and pressed specimens. A Belfast sink in the corner serves for brush washing and specimen preparation. We installed underfloor heating to keep the space at a consistent temperature without the fluctuations that radiators produce, which matters when working with watercolour on fine paper.

She said the studio has elevated her practice enormously. The quality of light is incomparably better than the box room, and she can now invite curators and publishers to view her work in a professional setting. She brings specimens from the Gardens across to paint, and the studio has become something of a landmark in the neighbourhood. Two fellow illustrators from the Kew Guild have visited and enquired about their own builds.