A shed of one's own

Chris Routledge, whose shedworking lifestyle we posted about earlier this week has an excellent article on The Reader online concerning where writers write and naturally it includes plenty on sheds and shedlike atmospheres. Here he is on the early days after having built his shed:

"That first week, listening to the Lancashire rain pounding on the roof I made, and not coming in, I felt connected with something very old and very human. That feeling is also there in the process of writing itself. There is the construction, collecting materials and shaping them into something new, but there is also something more elemental: the need for shelter and to communicate are part of what we are. Perhaps for that reason writers have always been escape artists, constantly seeking a place where they can connect at a deep level with the world outside. For many that has meant running away to cabins in the woods, distant islands, and garden sheds."

Other writers namechecked include Cheever (not a shed man), Orwell, Chandler, Faulkner, Twain and of course Thoreau, the last two very much shedworkers. Well worth a browse.

Keeping your shed special

There were many great entries in this year's Shed of the Year competition, but one of my favourites was the one which came third pictured above in North Wales owned by John Hutchinson who very sportingly commented that the winner and runner-up sheds were "certainly splendid creations". He writes:

" Perhaps I should issue a challenge for the judges to have another look at the contenders in 100 years' time. My cedar shingle roof will probably have been replaced by then, but the rest of it should be mellowing in nicely. One of the factors in deciding to go for oak (apart from my chum Ron being an oakwright) was that it should last a few centuries, which makes it a good 'green' option. Softwood sheds that rot away in 20 years even if they are doused with preservatives aren't a good choice, in my view."

Despite owning this lovely shed, John (a journalist) does not work in it and indeed banned items include televisions, mobile phones, laptops and all work related paraphernalia. "Although I work from home and The Shed would make a superb office," he says, "I am sticking with my decision to keep it a work free sanctuary (no phones or PCs allowed over the bridge). The moral is that home workers need sheds because they keep us sane!"
You can find out more about it on John's own site here.

Hemingway's Outdoor Home Office (HOHO)

Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway, designers (they were the founders of Red or Dead) and judges of Enterprise Nation's new Home Business Award, have a wonderful shedworking atmosphere, a teepee in their back garden known as Hemingway's Outdoor Home Office (or HOHO). It has two levels with a suspended communal desk on the ground floor deck. The wood comes from sustainable sources including 10 BT telegraph poles. More details at their website here and an article about it in Whatlaptop here which concentrates more on the technology they use to work from the teepee and where Hemingway says:

"I love the outdoors, and to be in touch with the environment. So I have set up an outdoor workspace at home on the south coast, which has electricity fitted, as well as being a wireless networked space. I can take my laptop there to work, and can use scanners and printers if I need to, but still be in touch with the environment outside my home. There is a similar space at the London office – a garden with wireless networking, so we can work outside on nice days."

Modular building

Modular construction techniques are at the heart of most shedworker's daily architectural atmosphere. Of course these same techniques are equally applicable to housebuilding and in the US in particular, modular buildings are becoming increasingly popular (in the UK it's still a bit of a news story although IKEA's flatplack BoKlok homes may help dispel some of the stereotypes). One area where modular is of special interest is in rebuilding homes in disaster zones. Architects such as Sean Godsell have already come up with various ideas which resemble shedlike atmospheres and there is an interesting story on the Everything Alabama web site looking at how modular building has helped in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Thanks to prefabcosm for this, a very interesting blog which has the ambitious aim of creating the web's number one resource for prefab and modular homes. Certainly well worth a regular browse.

Workplace flexibility revives employees

There's a nice piece on the CNN site detailing various companies in the US which are successfully using various methods of flexible working/homeworking. One example:

"At the insurance brokerage company NRG::SEATTLE, employees are encouraged to work at home one day every week so they can concentrate better and recharge their spirits. The result is little turnover and a higher attraction for recruiting employees who are full of energy at work."

Home Business Award launched

Those champions of shedworking and homeworking Enterprise Nation have today launched their first Home Business Award (in fact it's the UK's first ever award dedicated to home business). There are full details on how to enter on their always browseable web site here but what they're looking for is the home business that shows most progress and promise across three areas: business, lifestyle and technology. "Having spent 18 months uploading news stories on various Award schemes for you to enter, we realised that there was no single Award that celebrated home businesses. So we decided to create one!" says Emma Jones, founder and editor of Enterprise Nation. The winner will get lots of goodies (including a year's supply of Douwe Egberts coffee) as well as the kudos and ensuing publicity. The impressive lineup of judges are Emma herself, Rachel Bridge (Enterprise Editor, The Sunday Times), Wayne Hemingway (Founder, Red or Dead & CEO, Hemingway Design) and Ann Carter-Gray (Head of Enterprising People, Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform). Shedworking and The Shed magazine will naturally be entering so you'll have to get past us first.

Heidegger's Hut

A nice piece in the latest issue of Cabinet magazine by Leland de la Durantaye on Heidegger's Hut. For more details, see the post here which covers Adam Sharr's book on the same subject.