The Brief
As with most of our Pod Space projects, our clients in Oxfordshire had a keen eye for detail. They approached us with a view to creating a space that was not only functional but would also add in a focal point for their garden design. They wanted a garden room for summer that would feel like an extension of their home but with some separation to provide a quiet space for parents to work and workout in the gym as well as somewhere for the older children to spend time with their friends. A robust, insulated garden office and leisure space to use all year around.
The brief – “a garden home office that will fit in with the contemporary design of our garden, give us enough space to have a gym, sitting area and include a shower room and make sure it’s built to last”. Timescales were to have their garden room for summer.
Our answer – “no problem!”
Design & Planning
We arranged an initial design consultation to run through a gallery of previous Pod Space projects and get a sense of their style and size preferences. We took these along side the dimensions of the garden space available and from there we were able to put together a sketch scheme to plan out the best use of the space. A garden home office, with sufficient space for the gym and multi-use leisure space.
Following on from the initial space planning exercise, we discussed adding in some options to customise the space. We looked at the best additions to make the space perfect for family life and the intended use of the building. The inclusion of the shower room was a natural addition for the gym space as well as the sliding screen to the front elevation to add in some shading and privacy.
The details
Once we had the basic design in place we started to iron out some details. The client chose their preferred colours for the shower room walls, sockets, switches and flooring. We also added in air source heating with air conditioning built in to add an extra level of comfort, particularly useful for the gym area. For an insulated garden office, the ability to cool the space in the summer as well as heat it through the winter is a fantastic feature.
For this building, the exterior trims finished in grey worked perfectly to complement the timber hardwood cladding of the Pod and green planting scheme surrounding the building. The garden home office takes in the view across the garden towards the house, but with that critical and practical separation. With full height glazing to both the insulated garden office and gym, leisure spaces, each area has the ability to open up to the outside for fresh air and daylight.
The finished project
The end result is an extended Glide Pod working in perfect harmony as a family space, the focal point for a family garden. On the exterior, the natural timbers, grey trims and soffit lighting add a soft finish to the landscape. On the interior, the space transitions between gym, office and rest spaces, with furnishing and equipment positioned to zone the spaces. The shower room is tucked in to the corner so the building is future proofed to be able to function in a variety of ways as the needs of the family grow and change.
This extended Glide Pod is a stunning example of a garden room for summer, winter and beyond.
.svg)
