In the verdant garden of a London home, architecture studio Unknown Works has completed an evocative and immersive project: Shou Sugi Bangers, a sunken music studio for an electronic music producer.
This structure exemplifies the harmonious fusion of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design, delivering both aesthetic allure and functional excellence. The studio's exterior, clad in scalloped Accoya wood, has been charred using the ancient Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban. This method not only enhances the timber's durability and resistance to the elements but also endows the structure with a striking, tactile beauty. The charred wood, with its dark, textured surface, contrasts sharply with the lush greenery of the garden, creating a visual and sensory retreat from the urban landscape.
Unknown Works' deliberate choice of the scalloped design serves both an aesthetic and acoustic purpose. The smooth upper surface of the panels reflects sound, directing it towards the listener, while the transition to smaller ridges towards the bottom acts to absorb and dampen sound. This thoughtful manipulation of acoustic properties reflects the studio's deep engagement with the client's needs, ensuring an environment that is acoustically optimized for music production.
The studio's interior is a masterclass in acoustic engineering, developed in close collaboration with sound studio specialist Nick Whitaker. The "room within a room" design, accessed via an airlock double-door system, is strategically outfitted with acoustic baffles and bass traps. This setup effectively eliminates reverb, creating a pristine sound environment crucial for recording and composing electronic music. The transition from the bustling exterior world to this serene, soundproof space is akin to entering a submarine, offering an otherworldly sense of isolation and focus.
In adherence to London's stringent building regulations, the studio is partially embedded into the garden, maintaining a discreet profile under the 2.5-metre height restriction for permitted developments. Despite its sunken nature, the studio is bathed in natural light through a large skylight, enhancing the sense of tranquility and connection to the natural surroundings.
Unknown Works emphasizes the psychological and sensory journey of moving from the studio to the garden's nooks. This transition from a highly controlled acoustic environment to an open, natural space serves as a period of re-acclimatization, inviting the occupant to engage with the external world anew. The deliberate design choices underscore a philosophy that values not just the creation of music, but also the well-being and sensory experiences of the artist.
