House No.10 is a family residence in St John's Wood, London — one of the capital's most distinctive neighbourhoods, characterised by grand Victorian villas, mature gardens and a longstanding association with the arts.

The client is an artist, and the brief was unlike any other: to create two subterranean studios and residencies beneath the existing garden — spaces for painting, drawing and creative work that would provide sanctuary without sacrificing the landscape above.

Studio November's concept retains the existing garden entirely at ground level, preserving the character and setting of the property while opening up a new world below it. The below-ground spaces are designed to be generous, well-lit and genuinely inspiring — the opposite of what underground rooms typically feel like. A small sculpture garden to the rear provides a sheltered outdoor space connected directly to the studios, where the work can move between inside and outside without interruption.

The project is a demonstration of Studio November's architectural imagination and its ability to find creative solutions within the significant constraints that London residential sites present.

Location: St John's Wood, London
Property type: Victorian family residence
Services: Architectural concept design, subterranean extension, spatial planning, landscape design