Small, modular, enclosed, insulated, wired, outfitted pods or sheds offer a great alternative to leasing or building office space and are becoming more and more popular these days. Usually more energy efficient and often made from eco-friendly materials, there are several design firms and manufacturers offering various sized pre-fabricated self contained buildings to lease or own.
The UK alone has several, and today I'm sharing three of those with you; OfficePOD, Garden Lodges and The Roosts. For those in the US, there's the kitHaus as well as several other pre-fab and modular sheds, homes and office spaces about which I've blogged before.
First up is a recent addition. A small but mod space to call your own- at least in the UK and Europe.
1. The Office Pod
The OfficePOD measures 2.1m x 2.1m (that's 6 feet 9 inches square) and does not require planning consent in the greater majority of cases. It's modular design enables speedy construction even in gardens with the most difficult access. The POD has been designed to provide appropriate security when empty or occupied.
The OfficePOD provides the user with an efficient use of space with innovative storage and desktop solutions.
High quality materials were carefully chosen for their combination of visual, physical and environmental characteristics. Power is provided via a discrete and protected connection to the house or garage; IT and phone connectivity is generally wireless but can be similarly cabled. The POD is provided with a secure locking system of the highest quality.
The preview of the Office POD at Grand Designs Live, a consumer show for design and innovation had people buzzing about the POD. One interesting outcome from their consumer market testing at the show is that they are now selling PODs to small home-based businesses and individuals. This is in addition to their core offering of the flexible leasing and service agreement model preferred by larger organizations.
Not available in North America. At least not yet.
all images courtesy of OfficePOD
Learn more here.
2. Garden Lodges
Need a little bigger space? Garden Lodges® of the UK makes garden offices and studios available for lease that are also fully insulated and complete with integral electrics for power and lighting and can be used as work studios, gyms, gameing rooms or music studios.
Learn about the available sizes as well as other models here.
all images and info courtesy of Garden Lodges
3, 4, and 5. TheRoosts
Roost is another UK company that makes three different modules, the R1 Oval, The R2 Aluminium, and the R3 Stealth. They also offer a bespoke service that is all about working with you and adapting their designs to suit your needs.
Below are their three 'off the rack' models.
R1 - Oval:
Clad in red western cedar with a fully low-e glazed frontage and sedum roof this striking oval roost is our signature piece, and it’s not difficult to see why. Unlike anything else on the market, it can be fitted out with a sofa, ottoman (which pushed together becomes a double bed) and desk to form an unbelievably versatile space. Simply the coolest garden studio around.
R2 - Aluminium:
For the ultimate in micro-living, this fully insulated, aluminium clad roost cleverly includes a micro-kitchen, shower, loo and living area with more than enough space to fit a sofa-bed. Perfect for an office or guest accommodation this multi-functional space measures in at a neat 2.8 x 4.5m. Cedar cladding also available.
R3- Stealth:
"The brief for the Stealth was pretty simple...To create a space within the parameters of a small garden that would exploit the northern light. The slightly unusual shape of the garden leant itself to something angular and immediately conjured up images of ‘stealth’ technology, whereby the multi-angled surfaces on airplanes, boats and other vehicles make them virtually invisible to enemy radar. With those initial ideas in mind, I took the two-dimensional plan of the garden and expanded it in to three dimensions. The result was a studio with a series of angular sides, all of which are mirrored on the inside by the sloping panelled walls." --Roost designer, Ben Huggins on the Stealth pod
all images and info courtesy of Roost.
6. kitHAUS
For those of us in the US, there's a wonderful selection from kitHAUS. Their modern modules by designers and co-founders Tom Sandanato and Martin Wehamm are available in various sizes, with aluminum construction impervious to rust (can also be clad in IPE wood) and are pre-constructed and drilled at the factory for easy installation.
kitHauses 1 and 2 can be combined and configured in many various ways, below is an example of K1B +K2L + K2B which equals 768 square feet:
K1 (289 square feet):
K2 (289 square feet):
Models K3 and K4 are available exclusively at Design Within Reach
K3 (117 square feet):
K4 (187 square feet)
To inquire about KitHAUS 1 and 2, please contact them directly here. The smaller Kithaus K3 ranges in price from $32,450 to $49,390, while the larger K4 model starts at $32,450 and can be outfitted with a full kitchen and/or bath. Kithaus is available exclusively through Design Within Reach. For more information or to place an order, please contact Dow O’Neal, Contract Sales Manager, at 415.676.6648 or kithaus@dwr.com.
In the past, I've blogged about other great examples, be sure to see the posts below!
7. The Orb
8. Neoshed
9. weeHouses
10. Pinc House Scandanavian prefabs
