A physiotherapist living on the outskirts of East Grinstead, near the edge of Ashdown Forest, wanted to build a gym and treatment space in her garden so she could see private clients from home. Her detached Edwardian house sat on a large plot with a 100-foot garden that backed onto open heathland, and she needed a building that would serve both as a personal training space and a professional clinic.

We built a 6.5m x 4.5m insulated garden gym with a divided interior. The larger section has commercial-grade rubber flooring, a treatment bench, resistance equipment, and floor-to-ceiling glazing overlooking the garden and the forest beyond. The smaller section is fitted out as a reception and waiting area with a compact kitchenette, seating, and a separate entrance. We installed underfloor heating, a wall-mounted air conditioning unit, and full electrics including dedicated circuits for an ultrasound machine and electrotherapy equipment.

She told us the building has allowed her to launch the private practice she’d been planning for years. She sees clients four days a week and trains herself in the space on her days off. The setting among the trees and the views across the heathland create a calming environment that her clients love, and she said the professional finish of the interior gives the practice instant credibility. Several clients have asked who built the space, and she’s referred us to a colleague in Haywards Heath who is now planning a similar project.

An architect in Horsham had been renting desk space in a shared office on the Bishopric but wanted to cut overheads and spend more time near his young family. His 1930s detached house on a quiet road near Horsham Park had a wide, flat garden of around 80 feet, bordered by mature trees and a low brick wall along the rear boundary.

We installed a 6m x 4m Maxi towards the rear of the garden, oriented to capture north light through the full-width glazing, which is ideal for design work. Inside, we fitted a large continuous desk along one wall for drawings and model-making, plan drawers built into a storage unit, Cat 6 network cabling, and underfloor heating. A small partitioned area at one end serves as a meeting space where clients can sit comfortably while reviewing plans. The exterior is finished in charcoal-stained timber cladding that complements the mature garden planting.

He said the office has transformed both his practice and his family life. He no longer loses an hour a day to commuting, and being at home means he can do the school run and still be at his desk by nine. Clients have been impressed by the studio setting, and he’s found that the quiet, controlled environment has genuinely improved the quality of his work. He told us the build quality exceeded his expectations, which as an architect he said was a genuine compliment, and that the whole process from site visit to handover was handled with real professionalism.