Studio for a Potter is a project within a Grade II listed terraced house from the 1840s in London, carried out by Clementine Blakemore Architects for potter Tanya McCallin. The existing rear extension had replaced the original 1840s outrigger at some point and was poorly planned: it suffered from overheating and was not fit for purpose as a working studio. Clementine Blakemore Architects demolished it and rebuilt within the same footprint, funded in part by a Household Energy Efficiency Grant from the Camden Climate Fund.

The replacement is a single room with exposed Douglas fir beams supporting fixed triple-glazed rooflights on the north side, where diffused, consistent light falls throughout the working day. An operable rooflight sits in the solid ceiling on the south side, and a large oak-framed window and door on the eastern elevation open onto a densely planted garden. The kiln and wheel occupy the center of the space on a Douglas fir plywood floor, which is robust enough for daily cleaning. Much of the existing structure was retained to minimize embodied carbon, including the rear blockwork elevation, the structural slab, and the timber ceiling joists. New structural beams are glu-lam timber where possible.

The studio divides clearly into 2 working zones. On one side, the wet studio handles wedging and glazing, fitted with a bespoke brushed stainless steel sink and drainer. On the other, the dry side holds an adjustable oak peg shelving system for storing recently thrown and fired pots, generously lit from the rooflights above. The shelves are designed to function as a display area for exhibitions and studio sales. Cupboards below the workbench are Douglas fir tilly board, giving the space a warm and unified material palette throughout.