Warwick Buildings wins Award of Excellence

Congratulations to Warwick Buildings who have recently been presented with an Award of Excellence Gold Endorsement by editorial and marketing specialists E2 Media. In its commendation, Warwick was described as playing "a pivotal role" in people's changing lifestyles as they adjust to new working arrangements, growing environmental consciousness, and the need for versatile and functional living spaces. "They are architects of transformation," it goes on to say and are having a "profound impact on the lives of people in the UK by creating versatile, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing living spaces."

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Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

The Garden Retreat studio

A lovely build in Cambridge from London-based The Environmental Design Studio, a 15m2 replacement for an asbestos shed designed and built by Ed Barsley while he was writing a book.

Features include pivoting doors, vertical bike racks, reclaimed slate on the side of the doorway, a stainless still waterfall on the facade, outdoor kitchen area, reclaimed floorboards, and a sedum roof. One of the many things we like about it is that it's dug into the ground to improve its thermal importance as well as lower its height. Another is that the worktops come from a tree planted by Ed's dad and grandpa.

Lots more photos at the link above.

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Monday posts are sponsored by Tiny House Cabins. Beautiful cabins for all year round... oozing character! 

Friday finery: Southwold beach huts

Ease into the weekend with this lovely shot of beach huts at Southwold in Sufolk, courtesy of friend of Shedworking, Brian Elbourn.

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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Plankbridge open day

A date for your Saturday diary, an Open Day at shepherd's hut specialist Plankbridge. Ideally you need to register your interest and note that co-owner Richard Lee will be giving a small talk at 11am. There will be drop-in tours and refreshements.

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 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

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Man Cave Expo UK

For those of you who are interested in man caves, the inaugural Man Cave Expo UK on this weekend at the NEC will be a must.

Held over October 27-29, you can probably guess what kind of exhibitors will be involved, from garden office suppliers to those specialising in home cinemas, bars, and home gyms. Plus there will be lots of relevant sports, technology, and gaming attractions (we haven't noted anything more literary or sedate in the 200+ exhibitor list but perhaps we've just missed them).

There will also be a Man Cave of the Year Award which we will follow with interest.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Booths Garden Studios, the UK's No.1 supplier of zero maintenance and portable garden studios

MD902 Explorer helicopter garden office

If you're looking for a genuine one of a kind garden office, Gloucestershire-based professional avaiation upcyclers Aerotiques has the very thing, a retired MD902 Explorer heliocopter saved from landfill thanks to a collaboration with Specialist Aviation Services at Gloucestershire Airport.

Aerotiques salvaged the cabin pod and tail boom from the helicopter whose airframe was built in 2001 and flew for almost 4000 hours before its retirement in 2017 (as a police helicopter in Suffolk County in New York, as an air ambulance in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UK, and with the General Lighthouse Authority charity, Trinity House, in support of their operations around the UK coastline). Here's what Aerotiques say about it:

"With its engines, gearbox and non-essential components removed, the aircraft is remarkably lightweight and easily transportable. We think it lends itself well to a unique garden office, meeting space or glamping pod application but it's very much a blank canvas at this stage."

If you're interested, get in touch with them via the link above.

Rebecca Borresen, Head of Operations Projects and Deputy COO at Specialist Aviation Services said: “We are really excited to see this much loved aircraft being given a new lease in life and saved from landfill, after all other serviceable parts and recyclable materials had been removed.”

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Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

Garden office with hot tub

You can customise your garden office in many ways, but one I never thought of when Shedworking's HQ was first established 15 years ago was a hot tub. Here's what the staff were missing out on pictured above, an example from SMART which is built with a canopy and decking.

It has in fact been a busy time for the SMART team (pictured below) which was named as regional

winner in the prestigious Chamber Business Awards for the British Chambers of Commerce in the Problem-Solving Category for the company's achievements during COVID-19. They now head to the nationals...

Only 8% of businesses report five-day office attendance in Dublin

An interesting report from a Dublin Chamber of Commerce/Savills report into hybrid working in the city indicates that:

* Only a third of companies now offer complete flexibility to their staff regarding ‘core hours/days’, a drop from 45% in the last three months of last year.  
* There has been a steady increase in those reporting higher levels of office capacity on the traditional core days of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, while office usage remains at its lowest on Mondays and Fridays.
* Thursday has overtaken Wednesday as the day of the week typically recording the highest use of office space.
* One in four firms (27%) report their employees to be working three days a week, an ncrease from 21% nine months ago

The year to date has seen an increasing return of office workers to their on-site workplace with over half (55%) now spending between two and three days in the office each week, a 7 percentage point increase on the last three months of last year. The report says that this trend has been driven by an increasing number of employers (more than half of the 320 companies surveyed) implementing core hours and/ or days-in-the-office policies. 

Mary Rose Burke, Dublin Chamber CEO commented: “We must recognise that there is an increase in the number of employees returning to the office. However, with less than one in ten businesses (8%) reporting five-day office attendance from staff, the future of hybrid working is clear. Offering hybrid and remote working as a recruitment and retention tactic remains the largest motivator for companies with almost three in four using it as a tool to address the current skills gap crisis.

“The journey back to the office is unique and nuanced for each firm. SMEs appear to lean more towards remote work, whereas larger firms with over 50 staff are inclined to increase office days. A one-size-fits-all mindset won't work.”

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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Felixstowe ‘Seashore Village’ beach hut development complete

Work has reached completion on a new seaside development of beach huts and landscaped public greenspace in Felixstowe. The new Seashore Village attraction features 27 traditional-style timber beach huts provided by East Suffolk Council.

Completion of the Seashore Village brings to fruition a wider regeneration project on land between Sea Road and The Promenade with a neighbouring activity park, featuring climbing walls, sports equipment and games, opening at the beginning of the school holidays in July.

East Suffolk Council has worked with Scott Beckett Estate Agents for the sale of the new beach huts, primarily set around a central ‘fish-shaped’ lawn, created by Plaice Design architects.

Each timber hut was purpose-built by PJ Spillings Ltd before being assembled on the South Seafront site, formerly occupied by a ‘trim trail’ and volleyball area, where Hollins Architects oversaw work led by Gipping Construction. The area was entirely relandscaped, with ramp access installed and new public toilets built to include Changing Places facilities for people requiring more space for mobility or assistance. The nearby carpark has also been remodelled to allow better access to the site and provide more accessible spaces for wheelchair users.

Final preparations now proceed on the hireable ‘pod style’ beach chalets, designed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind. The building has an adaptable form and can be configured for use as five single accessible chalet spaces or opened-up for larger groups, providing a flexible and access-friendly facility.

Cllr Sarah Whitelock, East Suffolk's cabinet member for Communities, Leisure and Tourism, said: “The Seashore Village provides a really welcome enhancement to this vibrant part of Felixstowe. “The focus here has been on recreation and accessibility, for the benefit of public health and wellbeing. Alongside all the other high-quality facilities in the area, this should further strengthen Felixstowe’s tourism offer and provide another distinctive development for the town to be proud of.”

Huts are being sold on a long-lease arrangement, with full details available from Scott Beckett, by calling 01394 338000 or emailing enquiries@scottbeckett.co.uk.

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 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

 

 

Ian Archie Beck's garden office dacha prints

The marvellous artist, writer, and shedworker Ian Archie Beck (profiled here on Shedworking previously) has a beautiful selection of limited edition prints of his garden office - at very affordable prices - for sale on his website. Pictured above is Early Morning Garden, June 2022 about which Ian says:

I sometimes get up very early. A habit left over from when I had to take my late and very much missed recue Greyhound Gracie out for her walk. At that time the morning sun is right behind my studio and the surrounding shrubs etc. It creates backlighting in a very intense ‘contre jour’ way. It picks out the leaves of the crab apple tree and the climbing rose too. The climber has now reached the very top of that tree. The roses dot the rafters so to speak with scattered accents of pure white which I have tried to capture in several of my paintings.

We can't recommend these too strongly. 

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Booths Garden Studios, the UK's No.1 supplier of zero maintenance and portable garden studios

British Cabins & Hideaways: An Opinionated Guide

Another one to fit into your shedworking bookshelf, this is the latest title from Hoxton Mini Press who also published the excellent Work From Shed a couple of years ago. 'British Cabins & Hideaways: An Opinionated Guide' is by Holly Farrier (pictured above) and is apparently carbon neutral - here's what the publishers say about it:

Discover Britain's most glorious cabins and hideaways for exploring all the wide and beautiful corners of this country. Whether it's a tree-house in the Cotswolds or a modernist bolthole on the Isle of Harris, nature and calm away. And if inner peace isn't on the cards, then at least you'll have a hot tub. Ahhhhhhh.

Following on from Hoxton Mini Press’ highly successful series of pocket-sized, paperback Opinionated Guides, and the popular 'British Boutique Hotels', this sumptuous, larger hardback is part of a growing series of guides to Britain: with more detailed write-ups, more stunning photography, and even more opinion.

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Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

 

What is the world's smallest garden office?

Only a couple of weeks ago we were musing here on Shedworking about what was the world's smallest garden office. And now we've found one that's going to be very hard to beat. Bath-based Aldesko has various options (rear wall wallpaper design, oak desk, skylight, etc) but it's the size that truly marks it out, coming in at a truly compact external (excluding overhang) 1.3m x 1.3m x 1.95. Here's the rationale from Tom from Fully Earthed that makes the Aldesko:

During his time as an electrician serving customers in the City of Bath, he came across a number of people who had squeezed a desk under the stairs. You’d assume these areas would be dark and oppressive, but many people really enjoyed their little space, despite being only 80cm wide. He thought, why not move that space outside?

The Aldesko is due to launch in December.

Friday Finery: Garden office writer's hut

Two lovely shots of The Writer's Hut model from shepherd's hut specialists Plankbridge. Co-founder Richard Lee has written a nice illustrated blog post about them which you can read here.

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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

David and Victoria Beckham dancing in their shed

@wenzy_medin I love this couple victoria and david beckham❤️. .. i want this kind of bonding with your partner❤️🙏#beckhaminnetflix ♬ original sound - Wenzy

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 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

 

Lime green garden studio

Not an exterior colour you see very often on a garden office or studio, but the Shedworking staff rather like this lime green stain pictured top from Phoenix Garden Buildings, one from their Richmond model range.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Booths Garden Studios, the UK's No.1 supplier of zero maintenance and portable garden studios

Garden studio designer Astrid Arnold wins Screwfix Top Tradesperson 2023

Devon-based Astrid Arnold, managing director and lead carpenter of TouchWood South West, has won the Screwfix Top Tradesperson 2023 competition, taking home £10,000 worth of tools, £5,000 worth of technology and £5,000 towards future training which she will use to further existing training programmes that her company currently runs for disadvantaged women in her local community.

According to Screwfix: "Astrid was a stand-out winner, with her incredibly technical and stunning carpentry work, her focus on sustainability within her business, as well as her passion for supporting women with trade skills."

Among her highlighted projects was the studio cabin pictured above. Here's what she says about it:

"The aim of this project was to build a cabin that could provide an extra outside room, feel spacious inside, used environmentally friendly materials and was well insulated. We also dismantled the old cabin that was already there, reused as much timber from it as possible in the new cabin and built a 3-bay garden compost bin with the rest. We used eco-friendly internal and external wood fibre insulation, which minimises cold-bridging, making the cabin very well insulated. The doors and windows are aluminium framed, which is the most durable option for the Devon weather! Externally the cabin has larch shiplap cladding, painted charcoal black with external Osmo wax-oil. The internal floor is made from reclaimed pine timber boards, oiled with interior Osmo white."

 

https://www.touchwoodsouthwest.com

Garden offices in The Book Lover's Almanac

My latest book is out now, The Book Lover's Almanac and naturally there are numerous garden offices and shedlike atmospheres included inside. Among those authors whose writing huts get an entry are Virginia Woolf, George Bernard Shaw, John Steinbeck, Arthur Conan Doyle, and John Masefield, plus the Lausanne summerhouse where Edward Gibbon completed The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Available wherever good books are sold including Blackwells and your local independent bookseller.

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Friday posts are sponsored by Warwick Buildings, manufacturers of outstanding quality timber buildings. Click here for more information.

Is this the smallest garden office on the market?

 

 

We've seen some small garden offices over the last 15 years that we've been running, but we can't think of a smaller one than this. It's a Jay model from Bakers Garden Buildings and comes in at a really quite titchy 2.3m x 1.3m. It's a great fit for the space and ideal for single person shedworking, though at a push you might be able to shoehorn a co-shedworker in there too.

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 Thursday posts are sponsored by Cabin Master: garden offices and   

 studios to fit any size garden. Top quality contemporary or traditional

 buildings.

Garden office part of package at Sigma Homes Group development.

An excellent idea this, Sigma Homes Group is offering a garden office option at its new Hanlye View Development on conjunction with Bakers Garden Buildings. Pictured above at the new homes site in the mid-Sussex village of Cuckfield is the bespoke 10 sqm garden office. Prices for a three-bedroom house start at £680,000. Here's what Sigma say about it:

The garden has been designed to show prospective buyers how they can create an outdoor space sustainably to compliment the natural world whilst also being a functional space for families to spend time. It features a flowing gravel path which has been sourced from a local supplier and quarry to minimise the carbon-footprint. This leads to enclosed seating spaces, feature trees and the garden room... Provided by locally based Bakers Garden Buildings, this features the important working from home space.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by Booths Garden Studios, the UK's No.1 supplier of zero maintenance and portable garden studios

 

Shingle-clad shepherd's hut

Another beautiful design from shepherd's hut specialist's Plankbridge. This bespoke, shingle-clad hut is at Elmley Nature Reserve where it fits right in to the landscape.

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Malvern Garden Buildings offer a premium collection of garden buildings, displayed at 11 UK showsites.

 

UK firms increasingly opening offices outside city centres due to hybrid working

A survey of 500 businesses by flexible workspace specialist IWG indicates that 82 per cent of businesses are adapting their approach to office space as a result of the hybrid working juggernaut. Indeed, around 54 per cent now run offices or co-working spaces outside main city centres, and just over a third have second locations in commuter towns as staff are now demanding more flexible working schedules.

The same study shows that almost three quarters of businesses have saved money by reducing office space costs and another third are paying fewer staff travel expenses, as people turn to garden offices and other similar third space alternatives.

“It’s clear that the old ways of working, with a daily unproductive and expensive commute, are long gone," said Mark Dixon, chief executive of IWG. "Businesses are realising that not only does hybrid working make sense for their bottom lines, it also benefits their workforces. It’s encouraging to see that businesses are translating their hybrid working savings into real benefits for employees. Not only does this help in the immediate term, with improved productivity and wellbeing, but it will also help them retain and recruit the best talent.”

This follows his comment last year that people were understandably questioning the need to commute two hours a day simply to use a laptop.

Image courtesy Cabinmaster