Fiona's Studio - Edward McCann Architects

When one thinks of a garage they might imagine standing in a room doused in greased concrete, leaving oiled silhouettes as you wander through, feeling the sharp scent of mechanical fumes with every inhale and wincing under fulgent tube lights above. Fiona's Studio is quite the opposite. It is radiant. Its gentle nature is palpable. Its modesty tactile. Not only can it be felt within, it can be felt in open palms.

The purpose of the structure is absolute. Instil contempt. For its purpose is a vessel to inspire - extract artistry from within. The garage is Fiona's place of magic. It is her home for inspiration. More directly, it is a place for her to turn a blank canvas into celebrated, wonderful abstract art.

Cushioned between fragrant ferns and watchful tree tops, the studio prefers to be coy it seems. Where sunshine trickles down from evergreen needles and falls into a polycarbonate rooftop reveals - nothing. A lagoonal screed layer over foundations and masonry white washed walls. The rest, every crevice and corner, every nook and cranny, is engorged with light. There is simple, pristine beauty in that.

Edward McCann's brief was just as simple. Take an object from the 80s and give it a modest makeover. Refrain from tinkering with the elderly - and just give it a nudge into something less ordinary. A façade thinly threaded in aluminium - responding to the same sunshine that filters through wooded neighbours. Chalky red oxide viroc clad from head to toe, beckons occupants forward with pursed lips. A delicate polycarbonate headrest harvests the brightness of the day and exudes a mystique apricot glow under nightfall. Very little was asked to be altered. And very little has. Yet, one can't help but smirk at what has come of Fiona's Studio.

The studio itself finds grace in the minimal. Why not follow suit.