There’s no doubt that the pandemic has changed so many of our daily habits, especially the way many of us work. Many were able to forego their grinding commutes, transitioning to remotely working at home instead. But that shift has brought on its own set of challenges, especially for families with children who were also moving over to online learning at the same time. Many parents found themselves in need of quiet spaces that could be dedicated for work, resulting in renewed interest in home offices that could either be set up somewhere inside the home—or even better, somewhere in the backyard.
For one family living in southwest London, England, that extra bit of space for work (and leisure) comes in the form of this intriguing geometric structure, painted in calming tones of emerald green.
Designed by Studio Ben Allen, The Room In The Garden is a flat pack wonder that combines creative whimsy with the latest building technologies. It has apparently been inspired by an 18th-century folly in Scotland known as the Dunmore Pineapple.
Unlike its pineapple-topped cousin though, The Room In The Garden is much more intimate in scale, all intended to be used as a cozy home office, as well as a playroom and extra space for overnight guests.
As the architects explain, the digitally fabricated structure was designed both as “product and building.”
The exterior is clad with green-colored tiles that provide a kind of “surreal camouflage” that blends in with the garden greenery that surrounds it, as studio founder Ben Allen tells Dezeen:
The interior is designed to adapt with the seasons, with the double doors leading into the structure fully opening during the summer months, so that the garden becomes an extension of the interior itself.
Inside, the layout includes a desk facing a window on one side, and a bench on the other, as well as some integrated shelving for storing items. The geometric theme is carried through with the patterning on the floor and desk.
The bench features a clever design approach. Rather than having it as a static element, it can transform into a number of things. Here the bench functions as a spot to lounge around with a book.
The bench is also a place for the children to play.
But the bench also conceals another possibility: its center can be unfolded …
… and with the addition of some bedding, it can be transformed into a lovely place for guests to enjoy a quiet night.
The skylight above, framed by a lattice of wooden beams, provides extra natural daylighting, says the studio:
Besides its unique form, the Room In The Garden also incorporates some clever innovations. Much of it was prefabricated off-site using flatbed CNC machines, with components pre-cut and pre-notched, prior to them being transported and assembled on-site.
The structure was also designed to be low-VOC, energy efficient, and easy to assemble and take apart, in case the family ever decides to relocate. In total, the structural framework and cladding took two people about four days to erect, with an additional two weeks for installing things like electricity, insulation, furniture, and other interior finishes. It’s also a smart structure too, says the studio:
The studio hints that this structure, which was built on a “modest budget,” could be a prototype for an affordable, modular design that could either be sold as-is or further reconfigured into different variations. It’s a lovely project that suggests that working from home doesn’t have to be a drab, boring affair—it can be comfortable and well-designed too. To see more, visit Studio Ben Allen.
