Channel Street Studio

Channel Street Studio is an adaptable home studio and entertaining space at the rear of a house near the Moreton Bay foreshore in Cleveland, Queensland. Before establishing her practice in 2016, Anna O'Gorman converted an existing carport into a liveable office, working with minimal intervention to create a space for four to five team members that can later be repurposed as a granny flat.

Because the workspace sits within a residential property, the garden setting shaped the design. Research links nature, fresh air and natural light to productivity and creativity, so the studio was conceived to keep a constant connection to the garden. Future adaptability was the second driver: adding a kitchen and bathroom means the space can be reused down the line with little further work.

The project was staged, which let Anna take a hands-on role throughout construction. Owning the space gave her room to experiment with new techniques in close collaboration with the builder. The first stage enclosed the structure with louvres and translucent sheeting to hold garden views and year-round light, with a double-hinged glass door opening to the backyard for access and cross breezes. Foundational work waterproofed the concrete slab, replaced and extended the roof to take a kitchen, and added insulation. The single-skin block walls were painted white to lift the interior, and the existing timber bench was repurposed as a tea and coffee station to keep the character of the space. A bathroom was added with a high opening framing the sky and a magnolia tree.

The finished studio embeds the team in its surroundings. The garden reads from several aspects, and birdsong, neighbours and children playing carry through to the desks. The kitchen opens to the garden, turning it into a bar and outdoor barbecue area that gives the main residence the entertaining space it lacked. Having used it for both work and gatherings, the practice sees a clear path for the studio to become a living space in future, perhaps a teenager's retreat.

Project size 60 square metres on a 900 square metre site. Single level. Completed 2020.

Architecture by Anna O'Gorman Architect. Photography by Christopher Frederick Jones.