Tennant Street Studio

While living in Beijing, we shared a small, courtyard home in a nearby mountain village with a few friends—a place we escaped to on weekends. The central courtyard became our outdoor living room. Most of life happened outside —morning coffee in the sun, long shared meals, reading in the hammock, evenings that stretched late into the night.

There was a simple wooden gate that opened to the street. When it was open, the boundary between our space and the village softened. Neighbors would pass by, stop to talk, or just wave. We felt connected to what was happening around us. It wasn’t something we planned—it was just built into the space.

Over time, we started bringing those same ideas into our own spaces: places that invited us outside more often, made gathering feel natural, and created opportunities for connection with our neighbors in everyday life. Living in those spaces helped us recognize how strongly the built environment affects our habits, relationships, and sense of connection.

Upon moving to Minneapolis, we were excited to find neighborhoods that already valued this way of living: block parties, lawn concerts, frontyard gatherings, and a strong culture of outdoor life and community. The current form of Tennant Street Studio grew from a desire to contribute to that culture by designing social landscapes—spaces that feel personal, welcoming, and connected to the surrounding community.