It was 2017 and Ed Barsley had a full schedule. Between completing his PhD in architecture and writing a book, long hours working on a laptop left him looking for an outlet that would get him outdoors while contemplating a different type of design challenge.

founder of TEDS, his design firm, created this flexible studio in his backyard in Cambridge, England. The 160-square-foot space reflects his professional work on climate-resilient architecture by incorporating primarily recycled materials and a green roof." layout="wide" credit="Image courtesy of TEDS" photoUserId=""/>

“One of the ways I relax is through thinking about design and different problems,” says Ed, who runs his firm, The Environmental Design Studio (TEDS). “When I’m talking through a design, I have to go from the abstract concept down to, Right, actually, practically, how do you do this?”

Ed purchased his Victorian terrace home in Cambridge, England, in 2014 and tackled various renovation projects over the years. By 2017, he was satisfied with where things stood, which meant it was time to tackle the asbestos-riddled shed in the rear garden. Thinking about how to create a flexible workspace in its place was just the kind of design challenge he was looking for.

“I’m really glad that we didn’t just chuck the slate into landfill,” Ed says. “It’s 100 years old. It has a beautiful texture.”" layout="" credit="Image courtesy of TEDS" photoUserId=""/>

While not a contractor by trade, in 2009, Ed spent a year in the woods of Cornwall learning construction by living and working with a father-son duo. They built a timber-frame home, which gave him the experience and confidence to build on his own.

“They were getting me and my time helping them build, but I was learning how to make things. Martin, the dad, would show me how to use the tools. Sometimes he’d say, ‘I'm just going to show you this once,’ and then he'd trust me to go and use it,” Ed says.

The facade’s slate tiles, which came from the roof of Ed’s Victorian, also act as a “bug hotel,” providing shelter for insects. A water feature and bird bath are built into the exterior." layout="wide" credit="Image courtesy of TEDS" photoUserId=""/>

After he demolished the shed in his backyard, the designer and builder began excavating to create a new foundation. “I dug out three whole [dumpsters] of soil over a summer, just literally wheelbarrowing it around and around,” Ed says. “Digging down was crucial so that the new building wasn’t awkwardly sticking up above the other houses.”

Ed envisioned a flexible, multipurpose studio that—with the help of its reconfigurable interior—could be used as an office, or for exercising, woodworking, or storage. While the narrow lot meant that it would have to be compact, Ed wanted the resulting 160-square-foot space to feel “private, peaceful, and productive.”

Beyond being a rewarding challenge, by taking on the majority of the work himself (save for the electrical wiring, which cost him $750), Ed was able to save significantly on project costs. By his calculations, more than 85 percent of the building is made from recycled materials.

$300 Site Work	$500 Foundation	$3,500 Structural
$0 Flooring (upcycled)	$1,650 Roofing	$750 Electrical
$0 Plumbing, Kitchen & Bath Fixtures (upcycled)	$213 Cabinetry (primarily recycled timber)	$0 Countertops (hewn from a tree planted by his grandfather)
$250 Appliances	$1,200 Glazing & Doors	$450 Wall Finishes
$350 Metalwork	$250 Furnishings & Decor	$0 Architect & Builder Fees
$300 Garden Fence	$300 Pathway	$1,000 Seating
Grand Total: $11,013

Ed crafted the studio’s structure using wooden beams leftover from a friend’s PhD research project on timber skyscrapers. When the roof of his home was replaced, he kept the hundred-year-old slate and repurposed it as two columns that look like stacks of vinyl records flanking the entry. They frame a mammoth wooden pivot door, a 132-year-old relic that once belonged to storefront owned by Ed’s family. Weights from a sash window counterbalance the door, while sailing cables keep the square frame in place. An overhang creates a temple-like form while protecting the wooden door from the elements and minimizing solar gain.

A key flexible feature of the space, bespoke cedar worktops encircle the interior. They can be set at different heights, allowing Ed to stand or sit while working, or be removed altogether to maximize floor space. The worktops have a sentimentality, too. “My granddad had planted a tree with my dad, and then he and I chopped it down years ago and dried it,” Ed says. “It puts a bit of family history into the space, which is quite special. It’s definitely one of those things where you have to measure it a few times before you cut it because if you get it wrong, there’s not another tree to use.”

Ed considered using birch for the interior cladding but ultimately selected peg board, which, at a total of $110, was nearly a fifth of the price. It’s also a highly functional solution, allowing him to hang different brackets and easily rearrange an assortment of objects.

The pine floorboards inside the space date back more than 100 years; a neighbor was preparing to throw them out, but Ed diverted them. The floors are complemented by the interior’s waffle roof that helps the space feel large and airy, suited for Ed’s six-foot, four-inch frame.

Since Cambridge has one of the lowest amounts of rainfall in the U.K., the designer planted the studio’s roof with rolls of sedum, a low-cost succulent that changes with the season, sprouting purple, pink, and white flowers. Ed says it also helps keep the space cool and buffers against noise.

He completed the studio in stages, taking it up whenever he had more funds, free time, or new materials to work with. After a two-and-a-half-year pause during the pandemic, he finished it in December of 2022. Now that his first DIY’d space is officially done, Ed’s already using it to think bigger. “I’ve got dreams now of making a large building or an off-grid house,” he says. “Hopefully people can understand that these things aren’t impossible.”

More Budget Breakdown:

Budget Breakdown: An Architect DIYs a Luminous Work Shed for $10K

Budget Breakdown: A Garden Shed for $43K? It’s Not Meant for Storing Tools

Project Credits:

Designer of Record: TEDS / @teds_uk