Benefits of a bespoke garden office

Benefits of a bespoke garden office

The move to remote and hybrid working continues to gather momentum. But, beyond the headlines of greater flexibility and a richer work/life balance, it can be very difficult for companies to accommodate both those who loathed the cost and experience of the 06.18 to Waterloo, office politics or overpriced coffee runs and those who need social interaction, group energy and the tramlines offered by traditional offices norms. 

Whatever your preference, many people discover that the removal (or blurring) of traditional work structures sees some of life’s challenges swapped rather than removed. Covid and the prolonged, multi layered, uncertainty that followed, forced us all to reconsider how we want to live our daily lives.

‍A well planned garden office can support home and hybrid workers to maintain a meaningful boundary between work and personal lives – not easy as employer and customer expectations increase and home priorities merge with the same airspace.

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Here is our perspective...

You’re not working, you’re creating!

Let’s be clear, everyone has a boss and retreating to your own bespoke garden office won’t change that. However, the currency of ‘presenteeism’, the perceived obligation to be seen at your desk, is a thing of the past. There is no longer a reason to have dead time in your day because expectations are built around productivity and creativity rather than hours burned. Each role will have a definition for what that means but, increasingly, how it is achieved is up to you and when you do it is up to you, and the opportunity to be in control of those choices is greater if you have a dedicated workspace set up to support the way you choose to spend your time.

You make it personal.

Most garden office projects will be defined by space, budget, and technical realities but, within any such limitations, this will be your personal space to design and set up in any way you choose. It will become an extension of your personal brand in its structure, layout, or decoration and can extend to the landscaping of the surrounding area too. You get to be an individual, and decide what that means to you, rather than a numbered piece of a corporate jigsaw!

Reduced environmental impact.

It’s hard not to be aware of the importance of the environmental impact of personal choices, no matter where it sits on your list of priorities. Cutting out an individual commute may seem like a small win for the environment but add in collateral damage, such as the packaging associated with the food and drink we consume during a standard office day or the reduction in energy consumed by ‘always on’ office buildings, and the impact starts to grow. Let’s keep this in perspective; we won’t see change today or tomorrow, but over time, as more people adapt to a productive home working environment, the benefits become more meaningful.

Stress is reduced.

Working in your bespoke garden office, an environment created by you, for you, to be your most creative self, will aid positive mental health. We’ve already established that the cost and battle of the commute is history. Now consider the reduction of distractions and interruptions while you work, the sights, sounds and smells are of your choosing, the temperature and lighting are exactly as you like them, and only you get to decide if family members or pets can interrupt your video calls! Your Mybridity office will be comfortable all year round and the house is preserved for family life.

Costs are reduced.

Whatever your mode of transport, the cost of commuting rises each year, as do the associated costs of being out of the house, perhaps a coffee and sandwich, and these costs grow to be a significant drain on the family budget. Even if there is no commute there may be local office rental and running costs to factor in. Let’s be realistic, the budget for a bespoke garden office will bewel

in the order of £30,000, but the financial return on that investment can be readily calculated alongside the many human and productivity benefits. 

It’s an asset!

There is a current trend for house owners (and their agents) to include outbuildings in the plans and valuations of houses for sale. It’s likely this is in response to the demand for separate office spaces from buyers who are themselves home or hybrid workers but, regardless of the motive, a garden office adds value to most people’s prime asset. This will only be relevant in the future but is part of the financial equation.

Margin notes.

A well designed external garden office should be regarded as an investment for the financial, productivity and well-being benefits it will bring. Talk to Mybridity about how to bring your ideas to life and create a workspace fit for the new world of work.