In 2018, frustrated with London’s high rents and housing instability, designer Patrick Thomas King took the bold move to build his own home in his mother’s back garden in Maidenhead. A year after my first visit, during which I photographed Branch House for Modernist Estates holiday lettings, Patrick and his partner, Mette, generously invited me back for dinner in their garden. I was curious to see how the house had evolved and to learn more about Patrick’s journey — what drove him, without any formal architecture training, to take on this ambitious project.

Stefi: Patrick, tell me about your background — what you studied, etc.

Patrick: Initially, I studied a combination of craft and product design at Camberwell College of Arts, but then transferred to the graphic design course. I didn’t intend to become a graphic designer, but I was drawn to the course because of its course leader and the dynamic environment. It was more intellectually rigorous and focused on ideas and concepts that I was then able to implement in the workshop. Although I was still working on some furniture projects, my primary focus was on sculpture and kinetic art. I was also experimenting with different processes and teaching myself skills such as welding and woodworking.

S: When did you first think, ‘I’m going to build a house?’

P: I’ve always been interested in architecture but I thought you needed to be good at maths to study it, which put me off. When the opportunity came up to build in my parent’s garden, I was really keen to do it.

S: Going from being interested in architecture to deciding to build a house is quite a leap. How did you go about it?

P: I had a clear idea of what I wanted to create, and by then I had a lot of experience making things. After graduating, I worked as a joiner, taught carpentry and spent a lot of time in workshops, so I felt comfortable using tools and CAD software. I also met the architect Damien Hannigan, through a friend, who guided me. Damien was incredibly helpful and introduced me to a project by Hugh Strange in Deptford called Strange House. This had a big influence on my approach to designing Branch House. Through several weekly meetings, Damien gave me a crash course in architectural design and pushed me towards a subtle, utilitarian, functional, constructivist approach that really resonated with me.

Mette: I think you have a holistic approach to making. Whether it’s a house or a chair, it’s just a matter of scale.

P: Yes, that’s exactly how I approached it—as a piece of furniture on a larger scale.

S: Are there any buildings that inspired you?

P: My main exposure to domestic architecture was through London Open House festival. I used to go every year to see as many places as I could. I would look at the buildings and try analyse how things were made.

S: Did you build it all yourself?

P: Most of it, yes. I had help with bricklaying, some electrics and the glazing on the roof. For the rest, I figured it out as I went along, designing and refining details. I had a lot of guidance from Damien and a structural engineer helped with calculations, especially for the green roof, which added a lot of weight.

S: How sustainable is the house and was that important to you?

P: We tried to follow Passivhaus standards for insulation and energy efficiency. The house has a lot of thermal mass, and the green roof helps with insulation, especially in the summer. Although it wouldn’t pass a full airtightness test because I made the windows myself, it’s very energy efficient. The only heating is from the woodburning stove, which is enough to keep the whole place warm. I also layed underfloor heating but it’s not connected yet and we haven’t needed it.

S: Tell me about the space—it’s unusual not to have a standard double bedroom. What was the thinking behind that and the overall layout?

P: I really like single beds! They feel safe and cosy. There are essentially two sleeping areas with extra-long single beds. I designed and built them myself — one is built-in, and the other, by the fireplace, folds down and is cantilevered off the wall. They have a monastic feel about them — I like the simple combination of the concrete next to the soft linen which divides the spaces. The design of the house focuses on space efficiency without compromising quality. It has generous proportions where it matters, like the shower room, but no wasted space. It’s about having what you need without excess. Although it's only about 48 square metres it feels a lot larger because of the generous ceiling height. I spent about a year designing it, editing out any unnecessary elements. The first design had an entrance corridor, inspired by John Pawson’s architecture, but the basic plan has always been the same — semi-open spaces transitioning between the kitchen, fireplace and desk area. Its location and the relationship with the railway line that runs behind the house were also important, and I’ve made a feature of it by incorporating long horizontal windows the length of the house that look onto it. I remember when my parents first bought the house, as a teenager I made a cardboard den near the track.

M: This house is like a brick version of your den.

S: Is the house finished? Is there anything else you want to do?

P: It’s pretty much finished. I recently designed and built the dining table which was inspired by Mette’s parents’ 1960s kitchen in Denmark. I’d like to sort the garden out next. I’m going to Marseille for some inspiration but I’m not much of a gardener yet, but I’m learning.

S: You also have an outdoor shower, which doesn’t seem very British, what was the inspiration behind that?

P: London Fields Lido in East London. It has showers just beside the pool, and when you look up, you’re surrounded by these huge London Plane trees. I just loved them and knew I needed to have something like this if I ever had my own house, so it was high on my list when designing it. One of the first things I did was drill through the walls for the plumbing but waited a year to actually connect it. Since then, I haven’t used the indoor shower. We use it all year round.

M: My summer house in the north of Denmark only has an outdoor shower. When I came here for the first time and saw the shower, I was absolutely thrilled! It’s my favourite thing and reminds me so much of Scandinavian architecture, which I love. Guests don’t use it enough I don’t think, we should highlight it a bit more or encourage it because it’s such an incredible experience.

S: Were you always thinking of renting it out as a holiday place?

P: Not initially. One day, I made an Airbnb listing on a whim. It accidentally went live, and someone booked it and said they would be here in 20 minutes. I wasn’t ready, but he came the following day instead. The guest was really nice and it turned out well. That positive experience made me consider offering it to people interested in architecture rather than just looking for accommodation. Listing it on Modernist Estates made sense.

S: What’s Maidenhead and the surrounding area like?

P: Maidenhead has changed a lot, especially since the new Elizabeth Line. It’s attracting more young professionals and the town is seeing significant regeneration. The area has a lot of potential, and I’ve grown to appreciate it more over time. The surrounding area is beautiful. We cycled along the river to Windsor today, which took about 45 minutes. We also went to Bray, where I have an allotment. Cookham, which is only about a 20-minute ride away is very pretty. The bike ride along the national Sustrans route from Bristol to London is also really nice—it goes through Windsor Park, Bushy Park, and Richmond Park.

M: Yes Maidenhead is really well connected, it’s such a convenient connection to London and Heathrow just around the corner. And then there’s The Chilterns, about 20 miles away, which is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. And Oxford is only 45 minutes away by train.

S: Do you have any other plans to build another house?

P: I don’t have any plans to build anything at the moment. We have lots of ideas, but no actual plans just yet.

S: You must have learned a lot doing this though, would you do anything differently?

P: I wouldn’t do so much of the work myself next time. It was nice having that slow process to think about everything, but it took a long time and took a toll on my mental health. The actual building process was emotional and difficult, but I’m thrilled with how it turned out. The house feels like a huge battery that I’ve put so much energy into, and now it’s giving back every day.

Branch House sleeps two people from £85 per night.