If working from home hasn’t been on the agenda since spring, you might be setting up your pop-up office again right now. We present two projects made of wood that redefine the term “gardening” as a garden office. The garden is a place to relax. But it is also a place to work when the normally physically challenging […]
If working from home hasn’t been on the agenda since spring, you might be setting up your pop-up office again right now. We present two projects made of wood that redefine the term “gardening” as a garden office.
The garden is a place to relax. But it is also a place of work, when the normally physically challenging gardening work rewards hard-working people with positive feelings. Two small buildings that are more than a garden shed, but less than a tiny house, show that you can also do office work in the garden. Spoiler: With prices of around 15,000 euros, a garden office like this is reserved for well-heeled garden workers.
Office product designer Autonomous is known for its ergonomically designed chairs and desks. Now it provides the space for its furniture at the same time: The “Zen Work Pod” is a minimalist installation made of wood and steel that is intended as an office in the home garden. From electricity and light to storage space, this “work pod” has everything an office or study has to offer in terms of amenities – except for heating.
The compact “Zen Work Pod” with a sloping roof on one side has a footprint of around 2 x 3 meters and its highest point is just under 3 meters. The special feature is the entrance front. It is made entirely of glass, allowing an unobstructed view into and out of the office. The closed outer walls consist of four weather-resistant components: a wood-plastic composite, insulating foam, bituminous waterproofing and steel.
Inside, each wall is designed differently. In addition to the glass front, which gives the feeling of sitting directly outside in the garden, there is a light-colored wooden wall and a built-in wooden shelving wall. The fourth and highest wall is made of wood with narrow vertical glass inserts along its entire height, which stretches the room. Workers can individually adjust their workstation and view. Autonomous supplies the Smartdesk 2 and the Kinn Chair for this purpose. The “Zen Work Pod” is currently only available for pre-order and the working experience is not cheap: the “Zen Work Pod” is expected to cost 14,900 dollars at retail, whereas the “early bird” offer of 5,400 dollars seems almost like a bargain.
The “Wooden Tent Office” from Archipure is another version of the garden office, but it is made to order. In 2016, architect Patrik Uihlein developed a wooden structure with the shape of a tent or classic house – rectangular floor plan, four walls, pitched roof. The façade is clad with black “Contec.proof” foil, which is made from EPDM and is impact and fire resistant. Only one exterior wall is not clad: the glass front. The glass wall provides a view into or out of the 8.2 square meter interior, which is lined with light wood. Here too, the glass front conveys the feeling of sitting outdoors. The wooden tent can be supplied with or without office equipment.
In addition to the “wooden tent”, Archipure also offers the “minilodge” as an alternative to the classic camper van. The “minilodge” is a rectangular wooden construction with panoramic windows and with or without a covered veranda. The architecture offers space for different functions: From the sleeping and living area to a kitchen with dining area and a WC – there are no limits to the furnishing options.
Incidentally, the current Baumeister B11 reports on another interesting small house for the garden: the young architects from Aretz Dürr Architektur in Cologne, who have just been awarded first prize in the “Houses of the Year 2020” competition, have built their own beautifully designed wooden garden house for bicycles, barbecues and other items as an alternative to overpriced DIY store products.
