The Ballance Street Studio - Gisborne, New Zealand

Viewed from the road, the box-shaped workroom seems to float above the ground.

This in part due to the clean design and choice of materials, but also in the clever planning. Signage, a letterbox and fencing are all absent from the street frontage - and leave the studio’s clean unbroken lines to speak for themselves.

To the left of the studio is a long narrow trench, the fishpond - which passers by are welcome to stop and enjoy. Shane has incorporated a paving stone from the road to achieve just that.

Optimising the comparatively small space was also key in the design process.