How to look after the green roof on your garden office

A green roof on your shedworking spot is a lovely feature but while it's low maintenance, it's not no maintenance. Rotunda Roundhouses has a short but useful post on this very subject (feeding, clearing away debris, etc) which is well worth a quick look. Here's a timely snippet:

Sedum roof during Autumn and Winter 
Please remove all fallen leaves and twigs within 2 weeks as these can suffocate your plants. Unblock any surrounding gutters / ensure all the draining outlets are working well. Please do not feed the sedum roof during the winter.

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Nomadnessyurts: Home Of The Modern Yurt

Nomadnessyurts is run by Jonathan Ridgeon and Greg Kemp who originally started making yurts from hazel coppice and reclaimed army tents. Their current models, ideal for a garden office with a considerable difference, stand up to very strong winds, are fine with wet weather and claim to be virtually maintenance free. "We now use ultrasonically welded UV stabilised PVC and our new product is only now just going into manufacture," says Jonathan. "Currently we are deleloping an off grid hot shower solution using heat from the stove and water collected from the yurt roof." You can find out more about them at their web site, on Twitter and at their Facebook page.
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Green Roof Shelters

Adding a living roof to your garden office started to become popular a couple of years ago and now is almost a mainstream option offered by garden building suppliers. But essentially you still buy a shed and then decide whether or not to go for a green roof. Now, Green Roof Shelters (whose team includes green roof experts featured previously on Shedworking including Dusty Gedge and John Little) are providing a range of ready-planted shelters which come all done and dusted and ready to crane into position for a variety of uses such as outdoor classrooms, exhibition pavilions and of course shedworking.

The buildings themselves are our old friends recycled shipping containers and optional extras include a rather attractive habitat wall and special bespoke habitats for birds and bats. Everything in the process is as recycled/salvaged/ecofriendly as possible.

Pictured above is an example in situ, the pavilion at The London Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust’s new Rain Garden designed by Nigel Dunnett.
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Solar powered shed

We've mentioned Graham Burnett's selfbuild before and knowing how keen he is on environmentally friendly solutions we were delighted to hear from him that he is now running his garden office using solar power (enough for lighting and laptop though not yet heating). Graham writes:

"One of the things that put me off getting it together with own system was nervousness about messing it up, I found most of the books on the subject quite intimidating and confusing, but in the end I just decided to go for it and it wasn’t that complicated at all."

You can read more about it at his Humble Designs blog where he shares lots more photos of how he put it all together - it's pictured above with the PV panels clearly visible - as well as details of his new shingle roof.
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Garden office umbrella

Oh no. It's pouring with rain. You need an umbrella for the quick dash to the garden office. But what's this? You're inside your snug den BUT WITH A WET UMBRELLA! What to do? What to do?

Worry no more. Here's the answer from design student Simon Enever, the acrylic ELLA umbrella stand. It holds a couple of umbrellas at a time and, as well as looking rather natty, has an inbuilt grass stand so that the water drips onto it and keeps it alive, adding an extra touch of the garden to your garden office.

Grass in the garden office

A grass square to be used indoors in the office, designed at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Israel, inspired by Frank Loyd Wright’s Fallingwater. Not yet available on sale (but you could always just dig up a bit of your lawn couldn't you?)
Via Nine99
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Four ways to bring the garden into the office

One of the joys of shedworking is that you can decorate and design your home office in any way you like. But while nobody's stopping you painting your floor black and your walls deep purple, maybe a nature theme would last the fashion test of time a little more successfully.

There are of course a whole host of nature-inspired gadgets from bamboo keyboards to artificial glass chairs, but why not start small with the Charging Station, above, from Kikkerland which hides all the cords from your mobiles, cameras, mp3 players, etc, within a rather pleasing grassish design. Similarly - though with more of a Blue Peter cut out feel to it - there's the Tree of Charge (arf, arf) from Radius Design, below, made from aluminium which doubles as a key rack and magnetic board.For a quick and easy method of adding a little bit of the outside world to your inside office, consider using wall stickers. Supernice stocks the very popular blik range of 'surface graphics' which can help you improve the look of your walls in seconds without sploshing paint around. Particularly pleasant is their Bamboo package, below. Another possibility is Wall Glamour whose Summer Garden range also provides attractive wall art.

Finally, a suggest from Anne Robert's excellent My Urban Garden Deco Guide from Smith & Hawken, a vertical garden which you can install wherever you like in your garden office.
A version of this article first appeared on Enterprise Nation

Greentide: 'brown roof' garden office

London-based Greentide is run by shedworker David Whyte and supplies garden rooms as well as landscape design services. I particularly like this example which has a 'brown roof', something in my ignorance I've never come across, but which David explains nicely:

"The room was built to be an office and family chill out space, so it is a destination away from the house. The building is visible from the house but the view of it is partly obscured by the landscaping and planting inbetween, and you have to go through this to get to it. It is a really great space because it has basic creature comforts (cosy), is a 'proper' room, and has a lovely view over my veg garden. Its location and aspect are a part of the overall garden design layout. The footprint of the room was planned six years ago so it has been built into mature planting. This has helped the room fit or blend into the garden rather than standing out."Intensive and extensive green roofs are fully planted in/on a substrate intended to support those plants, this substrate being a version of the soil plants normally grow in. A brown roof is more like the waste land that 'weeds' seem to do so well on, but the 'weeds' are often plants that are beneficial to and attract insects and wildlife. Being a low nutrient substrate the brown roof is also better suited to growing wildflowers. I am going to wait and see what self seeds on the roof, and I will sow some wildflower seed up there as well. The roof is pitched, the rear third being cedar shingles (low visual impact for the neighbours) with all rainwater runoff collected into butts. Any rainwater runoff from the 'brown' side of the roof goes into a soakaway, a length of land drainage tubing running out across the veg garden.

"So the brown/living roof fits into the whole garden plan because it is an environment that attracts the wildlife you want, to feed on the wildlife you don't, or at least to be a part of that cycle. I hope it will do its bit in helping me be an organic gardener. Another benefit of this type of green roof is that being a lot thicker than a sedum roof for example, it should provide better insulation for the room below."

Choosing a shed - Iron Shirt

Devon-based Iron Shirt offer what they describe as bespoke "fantasy" garden studios, summerhouses, workshops and even homes. They pride themself on their low impact eco cabins which used straw bale construction, green roofs and incorporate solar power. Materials are local and recycled wherever possible and the buildings are built to blend into the landscape. And on top of this, if you source materials or take part in the building, their prices are reduced. There are some lovely examples on their site. Above (and just below) is the Love Shack which comes with glazed oak stable doors, turf and sedum roof, wood burning stove, stained glass windows and an interior finished in papiere mache.Below is the Garden Guest House, built along similar lines. Lots more mouthwatering photos, including straw bale houses like this one below, at their site.

BrightBuilt Barn

The BrightBuilt Barn is a very interesting exercise in the future of shedworking, combining as it does a studio space with the potential to turn it into something more residential. Essentially, it's a very eco-friendly build (selfsufficient for heat and energy, excellent insulation, and so on - more on this at the excellent Electronic House site) built by Kaplan Thompson for owners Keith and Mary Collins who intend to use it as an art studio, workshop for metals and electronics and office space. Its moveable partitions also mean it can be fiddled with to turn it into a house with a couple of bedrooms. It's a fascinating project which you can follow at its blog and wiki.
Thanks to Fiona Gilsenan for the alert

That Roundhouse: how to build a green 'shed'

That Roundhouse is actually rather more than a shed, it's a wood frame, cordwood and cob ecohome with recycled window walls, a straw-insulated turf roof and powered by solar power and wind turbine. It also has a compost lavatory and reed beds for grey water. And it has also had a, pardon my language, hell of a battle to get planning permission (details on their site). Happily, they've recently been granted this which as they say is Good News. There's a huge amount of information on the site too including lots of marvellous photos and the chance to buy the book of the house: it's so good it's been translated into Norwegian. And here's how they made their small visitors' den which is shedsize and was built very swiftly:Many thanks to Annie Leymarie for the alert

Can shedworking save the planet?

A new report for the Smith Institute and the Live Work Network shows how shedworking - and homeworking in general - cuts carbon emmissions.Can homeworking save the planet? How homes can become workspace in a low carbon economy is edited by Tim Dwelly and Andy lake of the Live Work Network and includes the thoughts of leading world experts (including World Wildlife Fund policy adviser Denis Pamlin and BT head of policy Caroline Waters) on the environmental impact of the shift to homeworking and live/work property. The report includes a comparison of carbon emissions by home workers and office workers as well as ways in which employers can benefit from a shift to shed/homeworking. Tim Dwelly said:

"This brings home the critical importance of live/work and home-based business to the future low carbon economy. We simply cannot go on assuming that commuting between separate homes and workspaces will remain the norm. We are no longer in the industrial era. With over 40% of all UK businesses now home-based and numbers likely to rise in the downturn, it is time for policymakers to urgently review their approach to employment and business and recognise the potential contribution of the live/work part of the UK economy."

You can download the full 115-page report here.

Green garden office - an American view

Lloyd Alter at Treehugger had a good long look at our post earlier in the week on green garden offices and very kindly added a North American viewpoint. Here are his views:

PVC windows
There are lots of North American sources of wood windows, but you should also check for used windows at Habitat for Humanity and other deconstruction sources.

Wooden cladding and flooring
In North America there are lots of FSC certified woods available now, as well as resawn boards. Keep away from ANY pressure treated woods.

Insulation
In North America one can get Denim, but most shed sized buildings are made from 2x4 studs, which will give a maximum of R12 insulation with wools. Again, since the areas are so small, I would consider a soy foam or icynene if I could get an installer to do such a small job.

Paints and wood stains
Absolutely critical in such a small space to use formaldehyde free, non-toxic finishes. I would also not bring any furniture or millwork that was made with formaldehyde binders and would think twice about having a laser printer. You want to start with clean air and keep it that way.

Green garden offices

The last time we talked about 'greenwashing' on Shedworking, there was a very healthy debate about the enivronmental values of garden office suppliers. Now Lynn Fotheringham from InsideOut Buildings (whose models are pictured above and below) has put together a personal guide to choosing an eco-friendly shed with a seven-point plan for choosing sustainable materials. It's quite long, but well worth a read:

1. PVC windows
Problem: People think that double-glazing is eco-friendly because it saves energy, which is true. But look further and you discover that the amount of energy used to manufacture UPVC is enormous. Also PVC frames are bigger and wider than wood and so reduce the amount of light coming through a window.
Solution: Buy locally from a joinery manufacturer and check the wood comes from renewable forests, ideally in Britain or Western Europe.

2. Wooden cladding and flooring
Problem: This is often used on garden buildings and around the house. The assumption that wood = eco-friendly is simplistic. Many cladding and flooring products are pressure treated and imported, both of which use unnecessary energy. So while wood is better than manmade claddings and floorings, it can still be energy-expensive.
Solution: Choose untreated British or European wood from well managed local forests. Our beautiful larch cladding, for instance, is grown in Scotland, then cut and planed by our local timber merchant, with no treatments or preservatives.

3. Insulation
Problem: Insulating your home or garden room properly will help the environment, again by saving energy. To do the job properly, you have to use a lot of insulation material. In garden offices, for instance, all surfaces should be insulated to an absolute minimum of 100mm. We use UK manufactured insulation materials, either sheepswool or Rockwool, from firms who have an excellent environmental policy in their factory. Which means we can insulate our buildings’ walls to a generous 200mm for maximum insulation efficiency while remaining environmentally responsible.
Solution: Look at the manufacturing process before choosing an insulation material. Can it be recycled? Has it been imported? Does the manufacturer run their factory processes sustainably?

4. Green and living roofs
These are undoubtedly eco-friendly and can be highly effective on larger buildings. But there are drawbacks. You need at least 600mm of soil to achieve a practical level of insulation. The insulating properties are reduced when the soil is dry. In summer you have to irrigate and weed your roof. You have to use several different layers of plastic for waterproofing and containing the soil. On the other hand when insulation isn’t so important, say for a garage or shed, a green roof is a great way to conceal an eyesore, add interest to your garden and provide an important space for wildlife.

5. Wind turbines
Wind turbines simply don’t hit the mark unless you live in a rural area with very strong winds. Current technology means that a small urban turbine will probably generate less energy than it takes to make. Instead, use low energy light bulbs, don’t leave equipment on standby and insulate your home properly.

6. Recyclable materials
Even the word ’recyclable’ can be misleading. Thousands of products claim to be recyclable but, in all honesty, so what? Are you really going to re-use a load of exhausted plastic insulation in 15 years’ time, or is anyone else? We recommend a common sense approach. Our buildings are designed to last for a very long time, not to fall apart after just a few years. We think this is the best approach. If you build for life rather than for the short term, the need to recycle becomes less relevant.

7. Paints and wood stains
These are the ingredients to avoid in paints and stains: Solvents and white spirit, turpentine, terpenes, ethereal oils, and acrylics. Ingredients to look for:- Water, binders , non-toxic pigments, mineral fillers and waxes.

So have InsideOut Buildings found a truly green solution to all their garden building challenges? “No, it is an ongoing process as more affordable, sensible, sustainable products become available” says Lynn. “For example we use untreated cedar shingle roofing which is imported. We’ve been looking for a UK wood shingling manufacturer for some time. Is there anybody out there?”

Garden office greenwashing?

We featured Glassbox yesterday and Shedworking regular Bill Kratz made a long and pertinent comment which I think deserves its own post:

"Let me preface this comment by saying that I really like the look of the Glassbox product. That being said, their website raises a couple of issues in my mind.

"1) The site states that pricing starts at 18,000 Pounds plus VAT. The smallest Glassbox plan seems to be 3.3m x 3.3m, or 10.89 sq m (117 sq ft). This puts the cost per square meter of this little Glassbox at something above 1,650 Pounds/sq m (~= $302/sq ft). At least by American standards, this puts the cost well into the area of custom (bespoke) projects. So the question is...what benefits does the customer accrue by purchasing a Glassbox rather than contracting for a customized design?

"2) Alex is correct that they "proudly trump their eco qualities." While some of their claims (especially the "usual" ones) are probably good ones, a few others seem to slip into the category of "greenwashing" (a great new term coined by the publishers of an interesting site on the subject at http://www.greenwashingindex.com/ ). For example, the Glassbox site says, "you will be investing in not only your home but in the future of our planet." Huh? Just how does purchasing a Glassbox bring returns for the future of our planet? Perhaps an argument could be made that a Glassbox is a better eco choice than some other structure, but either way resources are being used, not saved or "producing earnings on an investment." I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with purchasing a Glassbox (or any other shed, addition, extension...) or with consuming the resources necessary to produce that structure. I'm just pointing out that the hyperbole of their claims may not reflect the same honesty and minimalism that their design aesthetic reveals."

I'd be interested to know - as would Bill - what you think of the above. Please comment below.

Building your own garden office is not all sweetness and light

Mary is giving an excellent, and honest, blow by blow account of building her own eco-friendly garden office. Her recent post - Slow going and chicken wire is a bitch - underlines that a good green shed is not built in a day.

Garden Shed - 21 Acres

We featured 21 Acres' marvellous outhouse in last week's regular Thursday Outhouses slot and here's their equally delightful Garden Shed. It's a great shedworking space with not only storage capacity for equipment and a gardener's reference library but also a useful informal meeting place. Best of all it was built with recycled materials and features geo-thermal radiant heat soon to be powered by solar panels. Naturally, it also has a green roof. Architectural drawings above, the shed itself below.Thanks to Bill Kratz.

Shedworking tools of green beauty

Above is the Fujitsu Woodshell Bioplastic computer and below is the Asus Bamboo Ecobook.Via Treehugger, naturally.

esprit cabane

esprit cabane is a French web magazine translated into English which looks at lots of homemaking and shedmaking ideas about (in their words) "Recycling crafts, natural -100% VOC free- paint recipes, furniture instructions, pretty things, environmentally friendly and decorating ideas, sewing, cabin instructions, green DIY... It's the magazine of crafty & green living ideas to decorate and build without polluting". Well worth a browse, especially their cabins section which features some shedbuilds, including this rather lovely one above, how to build a rustic hut and how to make one for children.

The Green Workplace blog

The Green Workplace describes itself as 'The leading blog for those who design, manage or occupy green workplaces. We are architects, environmentalists, policy makers, and activists sharing ideas together and finding creative solutions to difficult problems. It's about space, technology and changing behavior from "business as usual" to a whole new way of thinking about work. Let's change the world! One great idea at a time." Though not specifically aimed at shedworkers and other species of homeworkers, it does feature us regularly and always has plenty of interesting pieces such as this one:

"Did you know that the energy required to fuel your car and commute to work is actually greater than the energy required to heat and cool the building you are working in? A presentation last week by the California Climate Commission, Carbon Currency: The ROI of Going Green, showed that operating energy uses for the average office building in California was 72 KBTU per square feet per year. The energy required to commute to the average office building in California was 127 KBTU per square feet per year."