In a world where so many more people are working from home it can be difficult to find a space to concentrate, surrounded by the distractions of family life and home concerns.
Our client, a literary translator, had investigated all the standard options for building a garden office (largely soulless drafty sheds for investment prices) before she came to us . She wanted something useful and beautiful, warm and secure with better ecological credentials than she had found on the market, so that's what we came up with for her.
The requirements: A bike shed/storage area. An office large enough for a library of books, an ample reading chair and desk space. To fit within the existing garage footprint. To look in keeping with the local area (a mid-century suburb). A building that would be an attractive element within a family garden.
Before: The existing garage was a dismal concrete bunker with an asbestos roof.
After: At once traditional and modern and completely at home in it's setting
The front of the shed has reclaimed mid century garage doors so the view from the road is of a traditional garage. Behind these doors is the bike store and workbench.
Within the garden the office has dual aspect double glazed oak windows, a reclaimed oak door and a verandah. All the gutters are connected to water butts to capture this vital resource.
Inside the garden office is kept cosy insulated with sheeps wool. The walls are breathable, finished with lime render and limewash. The internal wall is fully shelved for the client's extensive book collection. The place is full of natural light from the 2 skylights and the 2 double glazed windows.