A garden dojo built for practise

WANSTEAD – LONDON

ROOM

Bespoke with store

SIZE

Room: 5m x 3m, Store: 1.9 x 1.5

EXTERNAL FINISH

Burnt larch cladding

DOORS

1.8m heritage-style French doors

After almost 50 years of practising the Japanese martial arts of aikido and iaido, the homeowner had long wanted a dedicated dojo within his own garden. This bespoke Wanstead garden room transformed that ambition into a calm, highly functional space designed specifically around the way he trains.

Dojo with store room

Features

Mirrored doors concealing a bespoke, hand-built storage cupboard
Cushioned training floor
Plywood wall and ceiling lining
Extended 2.4m internal height

Japanese design often centres on using a limited area with thought and precision. That principle shaped the entire project: maximise the open floor space needed for movement and sword practice, while incorporating everything required to support it as discreetly as possible.

The site was excavated to provide the additional height needed for unrestricted sword practice. Inside, a cushioned floor creates a comfortable training surface, while the open layout allows plenty of room for movement.

Plywood walls and bespoke mirrored storage

A bespoke garden dojo designed for aikido and iaido, combining an open training floor with extended height and concealed storage.

Full-height mirrored doors support the homeowner’s practice while concealing a bespoke storage cupboard behind them. Specialist wall racks and a display shelf keep equipment and personal objects organised without encroaching on the training space.

Decorative plywood brings warmth and simplicity to the interior, complemented by black-framed doors and windows. Outside, burnt larch cladding helps the building sit quietly within the mature garden.

As the property is terraced, every material had to be brought through the house. The Outsiders team carefully managed the build to keep disruption to a minimum.

The Client’s Verdict

I had long wanted to have a place in my own garden to practise two of the most important pursuits of some fifty years, the Japanese martial arts of aikido and the sword art of iaido. Outsiders Garden Rooms made this dream space a reality for me and created a dojo which is both beautiful and eminently functional.

Rob and his indefatigable team completed it to the high specification any Japanese aikido teacher would expect. Despite everything necessary for the build having to come through the house, disruption was minimal and the team were professional, adaptable, accommodating, friendly and polite. You couldn’t want for a better crew.

The homeowner, Wanstead