Alan Coren on working from home

If you're by a radio at 1.15pm today, listen in to Core Coren with the very funny, but sadly now late, Alan Coren on BBC 7. If you miss it, it should be on the BBC's Listen Again gadget for another seven days. Thanks to Philip Johnson for the alert.

Mystery cabin

Shedworking reader David Phillips from Vancouver has sent in these marvellous photos of an installation at Canada's National Gallery in Ottawa which quite naturally caught his imagination. Unfortunately he cannot remember the artist and I'm having no luck tracking down either the artist or the exhibition so if you have more details, please drop me a line.

Shedworking surveillance

One of the most popular clichés about homeworkers (probably only after the one about us always working in our pyjamas or naked) is that we bunk off all the time to go shopping or watch the television. Despite all evidence to the contrary, this appears to remain a stumbling block for many managers in allowing more flexible homeworking options. So while we might not like the idea of it in terms of the theoretical threat to our personal liberty – especiall as we appear to be headed towards an increasingly 1984 surveillance society - would the option of electronic tagging actually encourage a larger take-up of homeworking and shedworking?

To some extent we’re already some way down this path. Earlier this year, researchers at the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK reported that managers in around a fifth of workplaces admitted to monitoring their employees using computer-based systems. Indeed companies such as Brickhouse Securities in the US already offer a pretty wide range of both personal and businessGPS trackingproducts.

The downside? The researchers also revealed that in workplaces where computer checks were operating, reports of work-related strain rose by around seven per cent, rising to 10 per cent in call centres.

Stenner Pallet Playhouse

The pallet renaissance continues. Jonathan Stenner writes to share the playhouse he built for his children:

"The structure is built out of wood that took from old pallets. The floor is pallets that they use to bolt down large equipment during transit. The interior walls, door, and window are As-Is, damaged, items from the local IKEA. I got the paint and carpet sample free from work. I did buy the roof boards and some extra 2x4s. The roof is covered with rubber desk mats that I found on the side of the road. It is about 95% found material or recycled from trash people put on the street. The coolest part of the whole fort is that the IKEA flooring on the interior wall are nail, splinter, and snag free."

I think this is one of my favourite shedlike atmospheres of 2008. Lots more pictures at his blog.If any other readers have photos or details of a pallet build, please send them in.

Nine Tiny Feet

Nine Tiny Feet is a very promising new blog by Michael Janzen in which he writes about the construction of a nine square feet building which, while is just about fine for living in (he's 6ft so it would be a bit of a squeeze), he intends to use as a home office. Here's what he says:

"I’m beginning to develop a theory that nine square feet is all we really need and that every square foot after that is for added comfort, vanity, or people."

The design includes a large porch, sleeping loft, small composting toilet, a 12V DC fridge from Koolatron,a kitchen bay window which will contain a sink and stove, and a Dickinson Marine fireplace plus cabinets and solar panels for electricity generation. He's also building a slightly less tiny Tiny Free House.
Via the always marvellous Tiny House Blog

Green shed

By Celine C

Sharing your shedworking space

There's a short but sweet piece about sharing your garden office (or indeed general home office space) with loved ones at sparkplugging (the renamed version of eMoms at Home). Five general tips include:

"Establish boundaries: You have separate email addresses, you need your own work space. It doesn’t have to be separate rooms, but at least have different desks or work surfaces. Clear boundaries will alleviate the “what about my stuff” argument. Corporations have clear boundaries for desk space for very good reasons - like keeping the peace."

Well worth a browse.
Via Enterprise Nation