Framing your garden office ideas

Framing your garden office ideas

It doesn’t take a long search of the internet to discover a wealth of beautifully curated ‘halo’ designs for garden buildings. There are some very creative designs possible and the products and technologies are constantly evolving. Garden offices are little more difficult because of the specific use the finished design will be put to, but the point remains there is a world of possibilities.

It can be similar to researching your next car. Not surprisingly, manufacturers promote images of mountains paths, flat desert roads or empty motorways set to a backdrop of perfectly behaved families bathed in sunshine when the actual need is a family taxi with lowest running costs to stand on a driveway in Eastleigh*. The dream is used to bleach out the reality.

Each Mybridity project is personal to the customer and starts with a discussion about their customer ambitions for the garden office. Here are seven exterior design topics which help to match the vision and the practical realities.

How will your garden office fit in with its surroundings? 

The building could become the focal point of the garden space or a utilitarian design making use of otherwise redundant space. Consideration could also be given to the relationship with the look and feel of the main house and any work required (fencing, ground works, pruning or planting...) so the wider setting doesn’t detract from your investment. 

What impact should geometry have on the design? 

Is there an opportunity to echo the lines of the main house, trees, fences, or surrounding buildings? The setting of the building, as well as the size and positioning of doors and windows, could take advantage of the location of the sun through the day to maximise the impact of sunlight.

How will the exterior finish impact the building’s look and feel? 

There are multiple choices of material, colour, and utility available and you will be living with your garden office for a long time so the choice for a natural or man-made finish is a key decision affecting both the aesthetic and maintenance needs in the years ahead.

Is it important to make an environmental statement?

Mybridity uses high end materials as standard and there are further positive environmental options available such as a living roof for natural insulation and temperature control or solar panels to create a self-contained energy source.

Plan for the services you will need to connect.

Understandably the focus will be on the visual aspect of the project but as important, if less emotive, is clarity about the primary use of the space and how the necessary services such as electricity, connectivity and perhaps water, will reach the building. 

Keeping your workspace secure.

As with services and connectivity, security is a low key but high impact topic. A garden office is a significant investment which will likely house expensive tech assets, quality furniture and important documents as well as personal effects. Security discussions should consider external lighting, cameras, and apps as well as security associated with doors and windows.

There is no getting away from a discussion about budgets!

These are largely foundational topics with the choices and any associated complexities impacting the budget either by dictating how much is left for the build itself or by challenging the overall project budget. Better to establish this upfront rather than halfway through!

Margin notes

There is a wide range of options for office buildings including self-build and prefabricated spaces that can be erected in a day. Mybridity focuses on bespoke projects and the opportunity to bring alive the personal vision for the ideal workspace. 

For a free, initial discussion about your individual workspace, contact Wayne at wayne@mybridity.com.

* Replace with location of your choice