How to build a tiny house

A fascinating feature by Tom Rawstorne in the Daily Mail about how to build your own tiny house in a week (even if you're not especially handy in terms of DIY) using the new kit from Mark Burton at Tiny House UK. Here's a snippet:

By lunchtime, I have completed the rectangle of walls without any major difficulty. Structurally, my little house is already remarkably strong given that it is held together only by a handful of screws. The next step is to add the pointy gables onto either end of the house and to connect them by the ridge beam — a long strip of wood which runs the length of the roof... I’ve already noticed the neighbours peering nervously through the hedge at this new addition to my garden...

It's quite a long piece but well worth a read. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homestead Timber Buildings - Manufacturers of Quality Timber Buildings

Loopholes in planning laws

An interesting article on the subject at Gizmodo - neither we nor they suggest breaking the law but it's an intriguing roundup of ways some of them can be bent a little... Here's a snippet:

Of course, there are tons of reasons to subvert (or break) the law when it comes to buildings: Sometimes they are well-meaning, other times, they are deeply misguided and illegal, and it's worth pointing out that building code itself should never be broken. But it's easy to get excited about well-placed loopholes—especially if it means you could build (or help build) your own space.

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here

Garden offices that look like teapots

Probably not an ongoing series this, but here's a fine example of the genre. The particulars from agents Rettie for the 'detached house' known as The Magical Teapot, at Lilliesleaf, Melrose in the Scottish Borders suggest that this two storey property would be ideal for a playground, fishing hut, tea room, VIP lounge or 'Hobbit Hideaway'. It would, of course, make an ideal garden office too.
It's 21ft in diameter and buyer collects. Yours for £10,000.

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Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning

Shedquarters

Cambridge-based Shequarters offer a collection of handmade products including bags, prints and stationery, using contemporary textiles, colours and textures which "fit seamlessly into your everyday life and home". Everything is made by them in their shedlike atmosphere which they set up last summer after working in the design industry in London for several years, turning an old shed into a fully working studio. Well worth a browse.

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braaiBOX

As promised yesterday, here is the second project from imby3 - called braaiBOX - which is not only great for shedworking but is also an all-weather barbecue and entertainment area.

 "The main purpose of this bespoke design for the South African owners is to recreate some of the experiences of ‘back home’ for their young family, where the outdoors plays a big part in family life – and the eating of barbecued meat is integral," explains Nicholas Taylor from imby3. "The intention from the outset was to provide the opportunity for them to barbecue (or ‘braai’) all year round, regardless of the weather, allowing them to keep an element of their South African lifestyle alive in Surrey. 

"It can comfortably seat 15 for dinner or double that for a party with standing room. The bi-fold doors open out to the garden on two sides so that when the weather is fair the braaiBOX bleeds back into the garden and feels like an outdoor space. During the colder months the doors can be closed tight and the building, warmed by the barbecue fire, takes on a different charm."

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Homestead Timber Buildings - Manufacturers of Quality Timber Buildings

Photographer's garden office

Nick Taylor from West London based architectural design company imby3 has been in touch about their freedomBOX range of garden buildings. Pictured above is a studio - sunk down 900mm into the ground - designed for Zelda Meyburgh, a photographer specialising in newborns and family portraits.  

"Zelda works from home, but with her business outgrowing her house it became more and more difficult to successfully carry out photo shoots," says Nick. "The ideal solution was to build a bespoke studio in her garden, with enough space to shoot in a series of different environments and with enough space to store all her equipment.

"Zelda wanted two studios, one allowing as much natural daylight as possible penetrating through and the other a smaller, darker, more controllable space. There was also a need for everyday garden storage and WC facilities, so we divided the allocated plot into three separate areas and allowed the building to express each element, using form and cladding. Underfloor heating was also very important in this project so that the floor could be warm and cosy for the many toddlers and babies waiting for their moment in the spotlight."

More pictures of the build below and we'll be looking at another imby3 project tomorrow. 

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Wednesday posts are sponsored by The Stable Company®, the UK's premier supplier of garden offices and garden rooms. Click here

Tiny House Kit

Mark Burton from Tiny House UK has put together a special Tiny House Kit for the growing numbers of people in the UK who are following the US trend and want to build their own shedlike atmosphere. It's being put together - in a five day test drive - by journalist Tom Rawstorne for an article in the Daily Mail this coming Saturday (early peak above looks impressive but it will be revealed in its entirety in the feature).

"Over the last couple of years I have received a vast amount of emails from people wanting to take on the challenge of building a Tiny House," says Mark. "Most people seem to think its as easy as building a shed on a caravan chassis but worry about putting three tons of timber on a frame designed to take just over a ton. Others are wondering how the structure will not twist and over time pull apart." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday posts are sponsored by Garden Spaces, suppliers of contemporary garden buildings, offices, gyms and studios, many of which do not require planning