New Build Studio Workshop in Stodmarsh

Project overview

Brighter Homes (Folkestone) Ltd delivered a bespoke new build studio workshop in the grounds of a private residence at Stodmarsh, near Canterbury. The project was carried out on a fully managed basis, from initial site clearance and groundworks through to final decoration and fit-out, giving the client a single point of accountability for the entire build.

The finished building is a striking black-clad, vaulted-ceiling workshop with dual pitched roof lines, full-height glazed doors, a Velux-lit mezzanine/loft storage area, and an integrated solar PV and battery storage system - combining a traditional timber-frame aesthetic with a genuinely low-carbon specification.

Scope of Works

Groundworks & Substructure

• Clearance of the site and formation of new strip foundations to engineer's design
• New reinforced concrete oversite slab with insulated floor build-up
• New perimeter French drainage, storm water drainage, and soakaway system
• New service ducting for electrics, water and data

Structure & Envelope

• Full carpentry package including treated softwood stud walls, cut-and-pitch roof structure, and large exposed timber roof trusses
• Structural WBP plywood sheathing to walls and roof with breather membrane
• High-performance insulation throughout - Celotex/Ecotherm to walls, Kingspan K107 to the roof, and Kingspan Kooltherm to the floor
• Feather-edge timber weatherboard cladding, finished black, with ventilated cavity detailing
• PPC-coated sinusoidal steel roof covering with aluminium guttering and downpipes

Windows & Doors

• Bespoke aluminium glazing package, including full-height door sets and two triple Velux roof windows bringing natural light deep into the vaulted roof space

Internal Finishes

• Exposed birch plywood ceilings and wall linings to a high-quality "unfinished factory" aesthetic, left as a design feature rather than plastered
• Insulated and boarded loft/mezzanine storage areas with treated T&G decking
• Fibre-reinforced floor screed finished with a self-smoothing epoxy resin floor
• Bespoke joinery including window boards, skirtings and trims

Building Services

• Full first and second fix electrical installation, including a new dedicated distribution board, LED lighting, power, data (Cat 6) and speaker infrastructure
• New armoured sub-main installed from the main house
• Solar PV array (3.68kWp) with 5.2kWp battery storage, plus smart electric radiant heating
• Cold water supply run to the workshop with sink/workstation provision and instantaneous water heater

External Works

• Full scaffold access package for the duration of the build
• Timber sleeper retaining walls and shingle patio/pathway areas to tie the workshop into the garden and main house

Approach

As Contractor and Project Manager, Brighter Homes coordinated all trades and suppliers under a single contract, managing the build through valuation stages to a final account.

A number of client-led variations were incorporated as the build progressed - including an upgraded aluminium joinery package, additional data and lighting infrastructure, an extended solar array, and bespoke internal fit-out details - all priced, agreed and instructed through a clear, documented variation process, giving the client full visibility and control over cost throughout.

The Result

The completed workshop provides the client with a versatile, high-performance studio space - thermally efficient, largely self-sufficient in energy terms via its solar and battery storage system, and finished to a considered, contemporary specification that sits comfortably within its garden setting.

Photographs show the project at frame and roof-covering stage through to practical completion, including the vaulted birch-ply ceiling, mezzanine storage areas, and the finished black-clad exterior with roof-mounted solar array.