Garden studio / office / room
Discussion
Has anyone bought a decent garden office system (complete)?
Like this www.atelierzone.com or this www.roomsoutdoor.co.uk
We're in the middle of some serious landscaping in the back garden, our plot is on a very steep gradient so it's quite tricky. We're re-modelling the current 3 terraces with some substantial sleepers for retaining walls (previous owner put posts in and they have rotted).
I'm thinking of creating a garden room for use as an office. Do these things come in kits or whole? if the latter it would have to be brought in by crane! has anyone experience of building or installing one?
Like this www.atelierzone.com or this www.roomsoutdoor.co.uk
We're in the middle of some serious landscaping in the back garden, our plot is on a very steep gradient so it's quite tricky. We're re-modelling the current 3 terraces with some substantial sleepers for retaining walls (previous owner put posts in and they have rotted).
I'm thinking of creating a garden room for use as an office. Do these things come in kits or whole? if the latter it would have to be brought in by crane! has anyone experience of building or installing one?
Seen a few of the pods - some good and some not so.
The higher end ones are getting into similar costs of a proper built unit, but generally the pods dont have to meet building/planning regs.
Personally I would look at having a block built unit, insulated and then externally clad in western red cedar. Add in some storage heaters, double glazing, and some sockets and you have an all year office!
Going a bit further you could grass/moss the roof - or tank the outside and build a teletubbies hideaway...
The higher end ones are getting into similar costs of a proper built unit, but generally the pods dont have to meet building/planning regs.
Personally I would look at having a block built unit, insulated and then externally clad in western red cedar. Add in some storage heaters, double glazing, and some sockets and you have an all year office!
Going a bit further you could grass/moss the roof - or tank the outside and build a teletubbies hideaway...
Just built a 46sqm granny annex from these people. They also do garden offices, studios, etc. Very impressed with whole experience. Final building is great.
http://www.gardenlodges.co.uk/
http://www.gardenlodges.co.uk/
DavidY said:
Just built a 46sqm granny annex from these people. They also do garden offices, studios, etc. Very impressed with whole experience. Final building is great.
http://www.gardenlodges.co.uk/
Thanks, the studio is the sort of thing we're after. http://www.gardenlodges.co.uk/
It's very good to get recommendations, I suspect some of these things look great but are a bit flimsy.
Edited by parakitaMol. on Wednesday 21st September 12:17
Its built out of SIPP panels, these are 10mm OSD board (chipboard), then 100mm insulation and then 10mm of OSD board. This are built around a timber frame. Inside is plasterboarded, on the outside it is battened and then clad in cedar, so strong and well insulated.
The nice thing is that is very quick to build, in our case we did the groundworks, then the building was erected, fitted out, electrically/plumbing etc, plastered and painted within 3 and half weeks. I haven't any photos of the completed building to hand (and my yard is full of JCB and stone lorries at present!), but here is one after 3 weeks, needing just ridge tiles and internal painting to finish. So far we have been 10 weeks from point of order, but since the building was completed, we have fitted a kitchenette, additional lighting and an electrical central heating system. My mother-in-law will be moving in next week, less than 12 weeks from starting the groundworks (demolition of previous building).
If you have any other questions please ask, if you want pricing info, send me an email.
The nice thing is that is very quick to build, in our case we did the groundworks, then the building was erected, fitted out, electrically/plumbing etc, plastered and painted within 3 and half weeks. I haven't any photos of the completed building to hand (and my yard is full of JCB and stone lorries at present!), but here is one after 3 weeks, needing just ridge tiles and internal painting to finish. So far we have been 10 weeks from point of order, but since the building was completed, we have fitted a kitchenette, additional lighting and an electrical central heating system. My mother-in-law will be moving in next week, less than 12 weeks from starting the groundworks (demolition of previous building).
If you have any other questions please ask, if you want pricing info, send me an email.
Just done this with a firm called green retreats - 100& impressed. Only small, 4x3m but ample for a 2 person office. Kitted out inside with wood floors, plastered all round, air con, etc.....it's far better than any office I've paid for in the past and has a nice commute!
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
This is great, thanks chaps, much food for thought and more research required. Our entire house and plot is on a really steep hill, and the house transverses the plot almost side to side half way up. This means that working behind the house in the back garden is incredibly tricky, both in terms of access for large tools and equipment and also every time we need level there is tons of earth to be moved with nowhere to put it.
Our current job has today been extended by 5 days, mostly due to the above but also because I changed design layout half way through! This means that our garden room project will be postponed - gives me time to research. I need to consider how many utilities we want up there, electric is fine, running water not too much problem but anything more might be tricky.
Great contributions thanks again
Our current job has today been extended by 5 days, mostly due to the above but also because I changed design layout half way through! This means that our garden room project will be postponed - gives me time to research. I need to consider how many utilities we want up there, electric is fine, running water not too much problem but anything more might be tricky.
Great contributions thanks again
DavidY said:
Red Leicester has a very valid point, and I think that broadly the costs are not dis-similar, however the time to build is likely to be very different. In our case a fast build time was very important so we went the route that we did.
Very definitely, and made all the worse because we got caught by the winter. It was the one clear drawback - a prefab / log cabin effort would have been up in a week or two, ours was a couple of months, then a futher month to dry the beggar out afterwards as it had got so wet during the build time. Conversely, I had many more windows than had been allowed with other options, internal walls likewise brick and precisely where I wanted them, and hilariously thick walls and solid floor!
Have to say that looks lovely David, great building.
if you're looking for something a little more contemporary Piercy Conner Architects did a study for 'Wan 21 for 21 Awards' and they came up with this
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fus...
it would need to be scaled down for a garden studio (as that's a dwelling) however having looked at the designs it's pretty clever and well detailed
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fus...
it would need to be scaled down for a garden studio (as that's a dwelling) however having looked at the designs it's pretty clever and well detailed
Company I used to work for, started doing garden offices just before I left. Proper modular construction and bespoke to your needs.
Looked really nice, and the quality was very good. Seem to remember they weren't cheap.
Google:
Kirton Sectional Buildings. They should have a link on there to the supplier, if they're still doing them (they were in their yard still as demos yesterday when I drove past).
Whilst they may not be local to you, could help with research.
HTH
Looked really nice, and the quality was very good. Seem to remember they weren't cheap.
Google:
Kirton Sectional Buildings. They should have a link on there to the supplier, if they're still doing them (they were in their yard still as demos yesterday when I drove past).
Whilst they may not be local to you, could help with research.
HTH
sleep envy said:
if you're looking for something a little more contemporary Piercy Conner Architects did a study for 'Wan 21 for 21 Awards' and they came up with this
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fus...
it would need to be scaled down for a garden studio (as that's a dwelling) however having looked at the designs it's pretty clever and well detailed
It would have to be scaled down! but I really like it. Thanks sleepy.http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fus...
it would need to be scaled down for a garden studio (as that's a dwelling) however having looked at the designs it's pretty clever and well detailed
We had a pretty useless bit of decking next to the barn that belongs to next door ... I had built it all a few years back but it never really got the sun and there was a big grapevine which went over the top, cutting the light ...
The wife fancied getting one of these cabins that just slots together but we were 200m short of being able to get one to drop in - due to the brick base for the pergola thing ... so in the end I built a room ON the decking.
This is what we started with ...
Another view ...
Wood frame ...
Flat roof ... still has the grapevine growing over the top
All properly done - double glazed window and well insulated with 100mm celotex
Boarded out and then my mate plastered it.
FInal shot when done. The biggest expense was the double doors from B&Q - £700ish - but finish it off lovely.
Two years on it's grown with the garden and looks a treat. Wouldn't start it again when I did though - mid November!
I reckon it was under £2800 all in - wood, doors, window, plasterboard, insulations, electrics, internal furnishings, sofa etc - wife uses it to do her jewellery, relaxing etc.
The wife fancied getting one of these cabins that just slots together but we were 200m short of being able to get one to drop in - due to the brick base for the pergola thing ... so in the end I built a room ON the decking.
This is what we started with ...
Another view ...
Wood frame ...
Flat roof ... still has the grapevine growing over the top
All properly done - double glazed window and well insulated with 100mm celotex
Boarded out and then my mate plastered it.
FInal shot when done. The biggest expense was the double doors from B&Q - £700ish - but finish it off lovely.
Two years on it's grown with the garden and looks a treat. Wouldn't start it again when I did though - mid November!
I reckon it was under £2800 all in - wood, doors, window, plasterboard, insulations, electrics, internal furnishings, sofa etc - wife uses it to do her jewellery, relaxing etc.
^ looks great. this is pretty much what I'm planning to do for a project early next year.
Judging by the photos, it looks like you covered the outside of the frame with some kind of membrane, then presumably added batons and attached the cladding over the top? What membrane did you use - I assume it's some kind of breathable one?
Did you use treated timber, or regular sawn?
Judging by the photos, it looks like you covered the outside of the frame with some kind of membrane, then presumably added batons and attached the cladding over the top? What membrane did you use - I assume it's some kind of breathable one?
Did you use treated timber, or regular sawn?
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff