Bookshelves Conceal Hidden Rooms in This Secret-Filled Backyard Studio

Architect Bulent Baydar, of Harrison Design, devised this studio for screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan’s home in Arlington, Virginia—and although it was never in the plan, it’s as much an entertaining space as it is an office.

"Matthew had been working in his basement," Baydar says. "He’s the father of three young daughters, and he needed a quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of the family where he could write." Carnahan commissioned the architect to imagine a freestanding structure in his rear yard—a construction that would be filled with little noise and plenty of sunlight.

"The studio is strategically situated at the farthest corner of the property to increase its separation from the main home and surrounding neighborhood," Baydar says. "It’s equipped for a full workday, allowing Matthew to stay for long periods of time without going back and forth between the structures."

The 400-square-foot structure has a predominantly glass front facade, framed with cedar, and massive glass doors by NanaWall fold open and connect the interior to the landscape. "When the entire structure is open, Matthew feels like he’s completely immersed in nature," Baydar says.