The Rise of the Backyard Office
We noticed a trend going on these days: offices in the backyard! The convenience of just walking rather than driving to work is too good to pass up. Check out these backyard offices that allow people to get away from the house without really getting away and save the hassles of dealing with traffic, commuting costs, or space rentals.
WorkPod by Ecospace is a gorgeous, contemporary backyard office would definitely appeal to design addicts. Other than its great looks, the space is built-in the office technology you need to get your work done.
There’s something about the round shape of the Archipod (which we’ve written about before) that makes me want to wrap my arms around it when I see it. It looks small, but it’s actually bigger inside than you think and it fits in with the backyard landscape very nicely.
dmvA’s Blob VB3 is an egg-shaped unit that can be used for an office or even a living space. It definitely reminds me of a giant marshmallow jelly bean.
The OfficePOD creates an environment that supports productivity and provides the user with an efficient use of space. It’s made using as many recycled and recyclable materials as possible and there’s a low level energy consumption along with a high level of insulation.
This small recording studio designed by Piet Hein Eek for entertainer Hans Liberg is a modern spin on a log cabin. The exterior is consists of many logs that cover a plastic and steel frame.
The customizable Garden Studio by UK company in.it.studios is insulated and can have heating, lighting, power outlets and even a bathroom or kitchen!
Do you know of any other backyard office solutions like these?
these are all so crazy! I love it. It would feel like you are going to play every day.
I’ve seen the prices for some of these. Hideous.
There must be a huge market for these. I would love one, might have to build my own though! I work on my verandah quite often!
Beautiful & nice works!
The Archipod just makes me want to sit in it and cackle, “Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station!”
The log cabin seems okay. But the other ones? They’re really very small and looks claustrophobic.
very interesting things
I want one in a tree that feels like the starship enterprise inside. It don’t want it to look like it from outside, just feel like it inside. A pod where nobody can disturb me or interrupt what I am doing.
I’ve had an office in my backyard for several years now. It’s an 8 x 10 \shed\ built with 2x6s and super insulated, including 4\ foam under the concrete slab. I heat it with a small oil heater that looks like an old fashioned radiator and have written two novels here. I also have a small air conditioner.
I like it very musch expeciially the log cabin and the small egg color studio-like thing. Beautiful
I believe Michael Pollan’s “A Place of My Own: The Architecture of Daydreams” deserves a mention here.
These seem to be mainly a UK thing — does anyone in the US make these things? I am so in the market for one!
Hello Rick,
We have a pre-fab modern backyard structure for sale right now it is very handsome and is a roomy 204Sqft. It is ready to move to your site and very sustainably built. Please respond to the email above for more details.
Thanks,
Valerie Navarro
Of everything above, my practical favorite is @Bill (4/9@12:21). Least likely to provoke (what would inevitably become) intrusive curiosity or worse, and no doubt the least expense by far. I would imagine that badged entry, recording departure and return, would increase openness of businesses to the idea of telecommuting. It wouldn’t be a foolproof solution for either party, but would help.
@JimB: I don’t have badged entry, and no one is recording my recording departure or return. My office/shed fully finished on the inside, including a Tibetan rug that cost just about as much as the structure itself. My two dogs accompany me and sleep at my feet. It’s not big, but it’s quiet and private, and perfect for what I want. I rented a very cheap office for a couple years and figure that this paid for itself after 26 months. I still have to leave the house to go to work, and psychologically that makes a difference for me.
I had my shed customized into a backyard Blog Cabin.Probably spent less than $6500 for everything you see in my Home Tweet Home. See photos at this website.
Wow these are brilliant ideas, thanks for posting! I’d love to have the Archipod, or the WorkPod – an incentive to get to work!
Surprisingly none are in a tree.
This is my backyard office.
Includes small bathroom, shower, kitchen unit with refridgerator. Electricty, running water, heat, A/C, and DSL Internet.
http://www.derham.com/images/SpringSnowCaboose.jpg
Here’s an entire blog devoting to the backyard office….
http://www.shedworking.co.uk/
I’m enjoying the intermittent posts. I’m in a suburb of Chicago, so the US is represented.
Here is my Temporary Escape Temple: http://aaabackyardoffice.blogspot.com/2009/05/shed-office.html
I really like these sort of buildings! I know a prefab house called Planit (from company Pircher, Italy,www.pircher.eu/planit/) which has won the Red Dot Design Award this year. It is also eco-friendly and can be used for housing shops, offices, show rooms, temporary structures.
These are all England based companies, so I started doing them in scotland. http://www.dabden.com
They look great especially the Work Pod.
Mind you I think it’s more likely that the Garden Studio is “insulated” rather than “insulted”.
Ha – thanks for catching that
More people working from home, uncertain house prices… Brilliant idea for getting a bit more space to live/work. All look very contemporary – would like to see something in keeping with UK housing stock?
Great designs, but i wasn’t even aware of this “build an office in your backyard” trend.
Now what kind of job do I have to have to be able to work in one of these beauties? Not a regular one I suppose.
This is a really cool idea. Anyone who has tried to set up an office inside a busy house will know that there are far to many distractions around which does put you off your work.. by moving just down into the garden I know it would focus me an awful lot more. They look fantastic too.
These are gorgeous. We went the Shed Shop route with my husband’s backyard studio. A free-standing structure–no matter how small–can really help you transition into a different creative mind space.
Everyone of these are so different and anyone can use them differently. Some look so modern, while some look cozy. I’ve recently been house hunting and saw some interesting self-built spaces in backyards that really caught my attention and now looking at these I feel an urge to make my own.
I personally know a few artists [one Sound Engineer, and a Sculptor] who have their studio’s on their own property. The Sound studio is, intelligently, before the house, but he still owns all the relevant land.
The sculptor owns a huge house in the Perth, Western Australia hills, which is surrounded by plants and animals, with a creek bordering the land. His studio is nestled at top of the drive, with tree’s growing all over it. The locality inspires so much creativity, it’s obvious why he chose that house
I’m in Melbourne, Australia and have a great home office that I’m looking to sell (due to house renovations). Has been featured in The Age several times and the beautiful design earned it an Australian Design Award. You can check it out via ebay here http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Portable-Home-Office-Studio-Spare-Room-Site-Office-/190542798503?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item2c5d3c5ea7#ht_500wt_1156
The Garden Studio and log recording studio look great.
There is a company in Seattle that makes pre-fab backyard buildings.
http://www.modern-shed.com/home.aspx
A great alternative to the above options is a pre-fab unit by Kanga Room Systems. They are a bit homier, and much more affordable.
They have four models, the studio, cabin, shed and play, and come in several different sizes depending on how much space you need.
Check them out at http://www.kangaroomsystems.com/
It would be great if the second one pictured, the nearly spherical one, could have its door voice-activated. “Open the pod bay doors, Hal.”
Nicely written! I would say that a lot of peoples are not aware that log cabins is one of the best way to meet our requirements for resident and commercial buildings. Wooden houses are really effective and worth living. I remember my stay with grandparents in the log cabins and love them so much. Thanks for writing such a good post.
I just love these. What a great idea! Thanks!
Wow, some of these are really nice. Now I just need a garden with enough space to fit one!
This is cool!