Art Studio Cabin is a new compact building which functions as both an art workspace and secondary dwelling (or ‘granny flat’) tucked into the rear of an established site amongst a cluster of eucalyptus trees. Designed on a 4m x 3.8m structural grid, it provides a modest yet highly efficient internal floor area of 29 sqm within a footprint of just 34 sqm - presenting a thoughtful model for compact living that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.

Arranged as two distinct rooms, it packs a high level of internal amenity with living, kitchen, and art workspaces within one space, and a bedroom, bathroom, and laundry facilities within the second space separated by a pocket sliding door when privacy is needed. Twinning barrel-vaulted roofs volumetrically expand their modest floor areas, whilst their glazed ends establish strong connections to the surrounding tree canopy and sky views.

The exterior and interior material palettes reference, and forge a dialogue with, the diversity of the natural grey, silver, and brown tones of the surrounding treed landscape, allowing the cabin to sit comfortably within its setting. An exterior concrete terrace, deliberately shaped to echo the barrel-vault symmetry, strengthens the connection to its external environment to enable sitting areas for enjoyment of the garden.

It incorporates durable and low maintenance materials inclusive of low carbon burnished concrete, low carbon fibre-cement board cladding, low carbon galvanised steel elements, thermally-broken aluminium framed double glazing, and FSC-certified timbers throughout, with high levels of wall, slab, ceiling and roof insulation. It also integrates hydronic in-slab heating, curved lightweight PV solar panels for renewal energy generation with battery storage, an electric instantaneous hot water system, energy-efficient radiator heating, and underground water storage for internal and garden re-use.

Date: 2026 -
Location: Lane Cove North, Sydney / Wallumedegal Land

Model: Christopher Polly Architect
Model Photography: Christopher Polly Architect
Surveyor: D&C Surveyors