Two-Fold Studio by ONO Combines Pilates, Ceramics, and Guest Space
Amy Duong — April 19, 2026 — Art & Design
References: ono.co
Two-Fold Studio by ONO is an 800-square-foot garden structure in Fairfax, California, designed to house a Pilates studio, a ceramics workshop with kiln and storage, and a guest accommodation. The project was developed by San Francisco-based practice ONO, founded by Max Obata and Tyler Noblin, for a client who works across ceramics and teaching.
The building is arranged in an L-shaped layout that bends around existing trees on site, preserving the landscape rather than clearing it. Cedar shingles align the exterior with the original 1912 home, while sliding glass doors framed in powder-coated aluminum open the interior to a covered outdoor patio. Inside, the Pilates area uses wood finishes and plaster surfaces, while the ceramics workspace includes blue cabinetry, exposed beams, zinc countertops, and a built-in kiln. Clerestory windows provide daylight while maintaining privacy from the street.
Image Credit: ONO
The building is arranged in an L-shaped layout that bends around existing trees on site, preserving the landscape rather than clearing it. Cedar shingles align the exterior with the original 1912 home, while sliding glass doors framed in powder-coated aluminum open the interior to a covered outdoor patio. Inside, the Pilates area uses wood finishes and plaster surfaces, while the ceramics workspace includes blue cabinetry, exposed beams, zinc countertops, and a built-in kiln. Clerestory windows provide daylight while maintaining privacy from the street.
Image Credit: ONO
Trend Themes
1. Multi-use Micro Studios - A compact footprint combining distinct programmatic functions like fitness, craft, and lodging reveals new models for high-value, multifunctional outbuildings in dense residential sites.
2. Landscape-preserving Design - Designs that bend around existing trees and topography emphasize minimal-site-disturbance strategies that reframe site value as a design asset rather than an obstacle.
3. Integrated Craft and Wellness Spaces - Co-locating hands-on studios such as ceramics with wellness activities like Pilates suggests hybrid environments blending physical therapy, creative production, and experiential learning.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture & Design - Small-scale pavilion typologies with flexible interiors indicate opportunities for firms to develop repeatable modular systems tailored to bespoke residential contexts.
2. Wellness & Fitness - Private, architecturally integrated practice spaces imply a shift toward home-adjacent wellness offerings that emphasize intimacy and continuity with domestic life.
3. Artisan Manufacturing - Integrated workshops with built-in kilns and storage point to demand for compact, certified production equipment and supply chains optimized for micro-scale makers.
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