Verge Select connects three weathering-steel volumes for Ontario painting studio
Canadian design studio Verge Select has designed a studio for painter Janna Watson in Ontario, composed of three square volumes fused together to form a secluded forest retreat.
The Grey County studio is located in the county of the same name in Ontario, and, unlike a second, more urban studio operated by Watson, provides a space that "slows time".
Located in a forested glade, the structure is composed of three square volumes of varying size. They are slightly askew of one another and fuse where they meet.
The entire studio is clad in weathering steel, which will patina over time and "allow the building to recede chromatically into the forest floor" according to Verge Select.
Watson's programmatic needs largely informed the distinct shape.
"The studio takes shape as three distinct yet connected outcrops each responding to Watson's brief for service functions, a light-filled workspace, and a flexible zone for photography and rest," said the studio.
"The volumes nest around a central service core, opening outward through generous glazing that frames views of moss-covered stone and woodland canopy."
On the interior, two of the cubes are largely open-plan, while the other is separated by a wall.
Watson's painting area sits in the middle volume, surrounded by wide-open glazing. On one side, the central space steps up into the lounge area, while the service wing is off to the other side.
This service space includes a washing area tucked into a sharp corner, and also a bathroom shaped like a right triangle.
Across a central corridor is the main entrance to the studio via a steel catwalk, while a door on the other side of the structure also leads outside.
"Two arrival sequences – one compressed and inward-facing, the other emerging from the forest via a steel catwalk – establish a rhythm of transition that echoes the artist's working process," said the studio.
The studio's ceilings reach ten feet high at their tallest, and are lined with "a gallery-style lighting system" for Watson's work.
The space also contains a wood-burning fireplace and reflective, contemporary lounge chairs by designer Paolo Ferrari.
"Here, observation, walking, and seasonal change become active components of the creative cycle," said the studio.
Verge Select is based in Thornbury, Ontario and was founded in 2009 by Michael Curtis. The studio specialises in architectural, furniture, lighting and interior design.
Other recent studio projects include a Vermont barn conversion for a photographer and painter and a garden studio in London by Delve Architects.
The photography is by Finn O'Hara
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