{"id":774515,"date":"2025-02-26T07:43:34","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T07:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=774515"},"modified":"2025-02-26T12:47:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T12:47:06","slug":"arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight","title":{"rendered":"Arts and industry: Gianni Botsford\u2019s artist studios on the Isle of Wight"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Southampton to Isle of \u2006Wight ferry arrives in Cowes harbour on the east side of the mouth of\u00a0 <\/span>the River Medina.\u00a0 <\/span>Here the tidal estuary bisects the famous sailing town and meanders for five miles southwards, providing shelter for a string of marinas, boat yards and moorings. The busy marine traffic takes precedence, so the only alternative to a 10-mile trip south through Newport is to take the \u2018floating bridge\u2019 chain ferry over to West Cowes. <\/span><\/p>\n

From here the traveller ascends the hill through an area of fairly unremarkable streets of terraced brick houses to a higher plateau of land running to the west above the Medina estuary. The small town soon gives way to suburban and light industrial edgelands, where ribbon developments of bungalows and cul-de-sacs dissolve into the older agricultural landscape of hedgerows and isolated farmsteads. Not far from the compound of defence contractor BAE Systems, a forking turn down a narrow lane eventually delivers visitors to a farmstead cluster of \u2006various eras of construction. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Aerial photo by James Eagle<\/em><\/p>\n\t

<\/p><\/p><\/div>\n

The first glimpse of the north wall of \u2006The Old Byre is a low-profile, windowless length of grey corrugated fibre cement siding, seemingly too low to be habitable. Only by moving round the corner of this discreet hipped volume via a small gravel lane does the entrance to a courtyard become visible, marked by a smooth surface of concrete descending a few steps into an outdoor room. This inner courtyard is formed of two volumes, one a pitched-roof \u2006\u2018L\u2019 shape and the other a mono-pitched volume to the south. Both are attached to the western side of a spine of 18th and 19th century barns that form a background patchwork of brick and stone walls and blocked-off windows. The courtyard floor surface is of older, rougher concrete, cracked in places where grass and weeds grow through. It catches the rain from the eaves of the L-shaped roof and slopes as a shallow basin to an off-centre drain. This and a galvanised water trough and a remnant cattle hurdle indicate that livestock used to live here. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Devoid of conventional external cues of domesticity, in the flat white light of a cloudy day the taught external fa\u00e7ades of the external room of the courtyard offer little clue to the life or structures within. Thick-framed shiny aluminium windows are set flush to a white opaque polycarbonate skin. An air source heat pump unit whirrs by the short end of the mono-pitched volume; could this inscrutable stealth barn house some kind of data farm or serve some kind of secretive military purpose? \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The crisply clad corrugated external siding wraps around the gabled end wall of the L-shaped volume, while the mono-pitched volume is chamfered, splaying outwards to the entrance steps. Entering a hidden door in the splayed wall, one realises this is the front door to an unconventional home and creative studio. Joseph Kohlmaier, a designer, academic and director of experimental choir Musarc, first set eyes on the site in 2020 and could immediately see the potential of the structures around the mucky yard, one a Victorian timber truss and brick animal shelter and the other a 1960s steel-framed storage barn.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With the help of west London-based Gianni Botsford Architects, a careful process of retention and addition has transformed the ensemble into a set of living and working spaces for the client\u2019s own use and as a creative residency space for artists and writers. The project was also made possible by the involvement of a co-investor, economist and art collector Simon Bishop.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the architect, the most consequential early design decision was to not connect the two structures but to separate the living room, kitchen and utility space from the more private L-shaped barn containing sleeping and studio spaces. One has to cross the courtyard in the open air and in all weathers\u00a0 <\/span>to go between the two realms. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Initially, the structures were subject to a form of permitted development of agricultural outhouses but, once the site had been acquired and the project was under way, a more formal planning permission was secured. The internal structures of brick walls, timber roof \u2006trusses and steel frameworks have been largely retained and wrapped in a new insulating skin. The most materially intensive new constructions are the concrete floor slabs introduced in both volumes. The 1960s living room barn to the south is slightly raised as one steps up from the courtyard. From this elevated plinth there is a long \u200aview to farmland through a window in the southern wall. This view is also framed by the flank of another converted barn structure. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here one feels very much situated on top of a hill in the landscape, while the wings of the sleeping and studio barn are set into the landscape as one steps down into the space to fit under the timber trusses. This tray-like concrete floor turns up on the external wall to form a deep retaining plinth along parts of the encircling existing brick wall and around the courtyard as a kerb to support the new glazing line and new square-section timber posts that support the old timber trusses.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

These have been left more or less as they were, as Kohlmaier says \u2018as the animals would have seen it\u2019, with remnants of paint on the timber structures and ceiling boards still visible. The deep concrete shelf along the back wall serves two functions; to conceal the underpinning and to form a display plinth for art pieces, as well as the owner\u2019s substantial library. The existing walls are left on display in both barns as exposed artefacts, whether brickwork, blockwork or stone.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Furniture-like spaces are cleverly positioned to host a pair of guest bedrooms and a bathroom on the inside corner of the older barn. This \u2018building within a building\u2019, constructed from spruce plywood sheeting, separates the two studio wings at the ends of the L-shape into more generous working and living spaces and also provides additional storage space above, within the height of the trusses.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

These pieces are ingeniously detailed, with large pivoting doors to open or close the end-studios from the wide connecting corridor. The cosy plywood sleeping boxes are intimately scaled and beautifully ergonomic in the action of the entrance and wardrobe doors. It is, perhaps, surprising that the openings to the outside seem so abrupt by comparison. There is no real threshold or sequence of sheltered transition between the two; one is very much \u2018in\u2019 or \u2018out\u2019 and the aluminium doors have no adjustment for partial opening without separate devices or fixtures.\u00a0 <\/span>Experiencing a stormy night here, the acoustics of the rain and wind were surprisingly present.<\/span><\/p>\n

This sense of adapting to the climate and to the uncompromising terms of the house seems fitting. Kohlmaier declares: \u2018Having to go outside in order to use the house is important; I have not once regretted getting wet or getting cold in these moments.\u2019 There is a definite dynamic of individual study and collective performance both in the disposition of the house but also in the cycles of departure and return to the island.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The loftier living volume is held within a more modern and industrial framework of white-painted steel sections and profiled deck. At night, the secondary framework glows visibly through the translucent Rodeca polycarbonate fa\u00e7ade. The presence of others within the spaces across the yard is only implicitly suggested; individual creative work can continue alongside but separate from collective living.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The kitchen is assembled from simple industrial shelving units, in the spirit of 1950s and 60s Californian Case Study houses, especially the gathering of artefacts within the Eames house and studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is an earlier and more radical Californian precedent from the 1920s that is perhaps most relevant, however \u2013 the King\u2019s Road house designed by Viennese architect Rudolf Schindler for himself and his wife Pauline and another couple in Hollywood. Designed around two courtyards with separate studios for each adult and featuring rooftop sleeping porches, the cultivation of individual creativity superseded conventional domestic convenience there, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

James Payne is a director of Lundvall Payne Architects and a senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Project data<\/span><\/h3>\n

Start on site<\/strong>\u00a0\u200aJanuary 2022
\nCompletion<\/b>\u00a0\u200aDecember 2023
\nGross internal floor area<\/b>\u00a0\u200a166m2<\/sup>
\nConstruction cost<\/b>\u00a0\u200a\u00a3350,000
\nConstruction cost per m2<\/sup><\/b>\u00a0\u00a32,108
\nArchitect<\/b>\u00a0\u200aGianni Botsford Architects
\nClient<\/b>\u00a0\u200aJoseph Kohlmaier
\nStructural engineer<\/b>\u00a0\u200aHorne & Littlemore
\nPrincipal designer<\/b>\u00a0Gianni Botsford Architects
\nApproved building inspector<\/b>\u00a0Isle of Wight Council
\nMain contractor<\/b>\u00a0Imphouse
\nCAD software used<\/b>\u00a0Revit, AutoCAD
\nSAP calculations<\/b>\u00a0EAL Consult
\n3D survey<\/b>\u00a0MK Bim Solutions<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sustainability data<\/span><\/h3>\n

Percentage of floor area with daylight factor >2%<\/b>\u00a0Not calculated
\nOn-site energy generation<\/b>\u00a0Nil
\nHeating and hot water load <\/b>25 kWh\/m2<\/sup>\/yr
\nOperational energy<\/b>\u00a08 kWh\/m2<\/sup>\/yr
\nTotal energy load<\/b>\u00a033 kWh\/m2<\/sup>\/yr
\nCarbon emissions (all)<\/b>\u00a06.9 kgCO2<\/sub><\/span>\/m2<\/sup>
\nAnnual mains water consumption<\/b>\u00a028.47 m3<\/sup>\/occupant
\nAirtightness at 50Pa<\/b>\u00a0Not calculated
\nOverall thermal bridging heat transfer coefficient (Y-value)<\/b>\u00a00.15 W\/m2<\/sup>K (estimated)
\nOverall area-weighted U-value<\/b>\u00a00.21 W\/m2<\/sup>k
\nAnnual CO<\/b>2<\/sub><\/b><\/span> emissions<\/b>\u00a06.9 kgCO2<\/sub><\/span>\/m2<\/sup>
\nEmbodied carbon<\/b>\u00a0206.77 kgCO2<\/sub><\/span>eq\/m2<\/sup>
\nWhole-life carbon<\/b>\u00a0212.92 kgCO2<\/sub><\/span>eq\/m2<\/sup>
\nPredicted design life <\/b>50 years (estimated)
\nEnergy Performance Certificate rating <\/b>B<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Southampton to Isle of \u2006Wight ferry arrives in Cowes harbour on the east side of the mouth of\u00a0 the River Medina.\u00a0 Here the tidal estuary bisects the famous sailing town and meanders for five miles southwards, providing shelter for a string of marinas, boat yards and moorings. The busy marine traffic takes precedence, so …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17071,"featured_media":776507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[706],"tags":[100505,4152,3129,4188],"yoast_head":"\nArts and industry: Gianni Botsford\u2019s artist studios on the Isle of Wight<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gianni Botsford Architects has transformed a pair of barns on a smallholding on the Isle of Wight into a dwelling and studios for visiting artists and writers. James Payne reports. Photography by Schnepp Renou\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Arts and industry: Gianni Botsford\u2019s artist studios on the Isle of Wight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gianni Botsford Architects has transformed a pair of barns on a smallholding on the Isle of Wight into a dwelling and studios for visiting artists and writers. James Payne reports. Photography by Schnepp Renou\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Architects\u2019 Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-26T07:43:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-26T12:47:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.rt.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/02\/26091532\/SRP_2310180008_send-1-1024x683.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"James Payne\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Simon Aldous\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight\",\"name\":\"Arts and industry: Gianni Botsford\u2019s artist studios on the Isle of Wight\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-26T07:43:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-26T12:47:06+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/b399847a770a1f70adabee38b87d0cd5\"},\"description\":\"Gianni Botsford Architects has transformed a pair of barns on a smallholding on the Isle of Wight into a dwelling and studios for visiting artists and writers. James Payne reports. Photography by Schnepp Renou\u00a0\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Arts and industry: Gianni Botsford\u2019s artist studios on the Isle of Wight\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"The Architects\u2019 Journal\",\"description\":\"Architecture News & Buildings\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/b399847a770a1f70adabee38b87d0cd5\",\"name\":\"Simon Aldous\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/aa7292063db9baef19bc2eb94c010ef4\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1beb90aa32d748e35863bb3468acec8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1beb90aa32d748e35863bb3468acec8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Simon Aldous\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/author\/simon-aldous-2\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Arts and industry: Gianni Botsford\u2019s artist studios on the Isle of Wight","description":"Gianni Botsford Architects has transformed a pair of barns on a smallholding on the Isle of Wight into a dwelling and studios for visiting artists and writers. James Payne reports. Photography by Schnepp Renou\u00a0","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Arts and industry: Gianni Botsford\u2019s artist studios on the Isle of Wight","og_description":"Gianni Botsford Architects has transformed a pair of barns on a smallholding on the Isle of Wight into a dwelling and studios for visiting artists and writers. James Payne reports. Photography by Schnepp Renou\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight","og_site_name":"The Architects\u2019 Journal","article_published_time":"2025-02-26T07:43:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-02-26T12:47:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.rt.emap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/02\/26091532\/SRP_2310180008_send-1-1024x683.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"James Payne","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Simon Aldous","Estimated reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight","url":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight","name":"Arts and industry: Gianni Botsford\u2019s artist studios on the Isle of Wight","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-02-26T07:43:34+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-26T12:47:06+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/b399847a770a1f70adabee38b87d0cd5"},"description":"Gianni Botsford Architects has transformed a pair of barns on a smallholding on the Isle of Wight into a dwelling and studios for visiting artists and writers. James Payne reports. Photography by Schnepp Renou\u00a0","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/buildings\/arts-and-industry-gianni-botsfords-artist-studios-on-isle-of-wight#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Arts and industry: Gianni Botsford\u2019s artist studios on the Isle of Wight"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/","name":"The Architects\u2019 Journal","description":"Architecture News & Buildings","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/b399847a770a1f70adabee38b87d0cd5","name":"Simon Aldous","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/aa7292063db9baef19bc2eb94c010ef4","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1beb90aa32d748e35863bb3468acec8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1beb90aa32d748e35863bb3468acec8d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Simon Aldous"},"url":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/author\/simon-aldous-2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774515"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17071"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=774515"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":776492,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774515\/revisions\/776492"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/776507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=774515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=774515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=774515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}