Unique Circular Garden Rooms, modular school buildings and lodges - Handcrafted in the UK
One definite perk of investing in a Rotunda Garden Room is that you have the opportunity to create your own unique space from the moment that you start engaging in conversation with us! The creative process behind each and every Rotunda is unique and this is one of the elements our clients most enjoy about the sales process. Not only do we sit down and plan each and every detail around you and your garden (position of the light switches and electrical sockets/window position/door opening/layout…etc!) but your paint finish is customised too! If you love a particular colour shade in your house, we’ll match it! If you have a painting which inspires you, we’ll pick a colour from it! A completely unique and creative customer journey which we doubt you’d find with any other garden room manufacturer. Interestingly, no two people are ever the same and as a direct consequence each Rotunda is completely unique! A couple of weeks ago we built & installed a Rotunda internally finished in a deep soulful red; this week we’re off to Hertfordshire with a blue Rotunda! (Interior, of course!) Other colours coming up on the Summer installations spectrum range from a dusky green to a bright daffodil yellow! What does the colour you choose say about you and the space you’re creating? It’s fascinating to think that the colour we surround ourselves in gives off a different vibrational frequency and affects our mood and activity within our garden building. Here are a few guidelines on colour and how it affects our psychology! (Information extracted from http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours)
RED. Physical Positive: Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, ‘fight or flight’, stimulation, masculinity, excitement. Negative: Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain. Being the longest wavelength, red is a powerful colour. Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Hence its effectiveness in traffic lights the world over. Its effect is physical; it stimulates us and raises the pulse rate, giving the impression that time is passing faster than it is.
BLUE. Intellectual. Positive: Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm. Negative: Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness. Blue is the colour of the mind and is essentially soothing; it affects us mentally, rather than the physical reaction we have to red. Strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft blues will calm the mind and aid concentration. Consequently it is serene and mentally calming. It is the colour of clear communication.
YELLOW. Emotional Positive: Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, emotional strength, friendliness, creativity. Negative: Irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety. The yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. In this case the stimulus is emotional, therefore yellow is the strongest colour, psychologically. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our self-esteem; it is the colour of confidence and optimism.
GREEN. Balance Positive: Harmony, balance, refreshment, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace. Negative: Boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation. Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatever and is, therefore, restful. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the colour of balance – a more important concept than many people realise. When the world about us contains plenty of green, this indicates the presence of water, and little danger of famine, so we are reassured by green, on a primitive level.
VIOLET. Spiritual Positive: Spiritual awareness, containment, vision, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality. Negative: Introversion, decadence, suppression, inferiority. The shortest wavelength is violet, often described as purple. It takes awareness to a higher level of thought, even into the realms of spiritual values. It is highly introvertive and encourages deep contemplation, or meditation.
ORANGE. Dynamic. Positive: Physical comfort, food, warmth, security, sensuality, passion, abundance, fun. Negative: Deprivation, frustration, frivolity, immaturity. Since it is a combination of red and yellow, orange is stimulating and reaction to it is a combination of the physical and the emotional. It focuses our minds on issues of physical comfort – food, warmth, shelter etc. – and sensuality. It is a ‘fun’ colour.
It’s a worth having a think about the type of experience you’re looking for when you’re looking through the colour chart and envisioning spending time in your Rotunda – i.e. green = relaxing garden room, blue = garden-office or studio, red = music room, violet = meditation/yoga room! Just another little thing to get excited about!
Rotunda Living – Discovering the Spirit of a Space
A few months ago we relocated our main offices from a beautiful rural space in the Cheshire countryside to an industrial estate just outside of Stockport. Whilst it was extremely sad to move from working in the warm, creative space of Luna, our show model Rotunda, we knew that is was the right thing to do as it also gave us the opportunity to grow our manufacturing unit as well as having the facilities to add more people to the Rotunda Family.
In true Rotunda style we had to have the most unusual unit available, and this came in the form of a converted roof-space at the back of the estate, overlooking a green bank of trees, flowers, and shrubs; Even though we were out of the countryside, we still found ourselves a lovely view. The office itself had been the showroom for a fitted furniture company, and whilst the craftsmanship of everything was extremely high, the heavy black wood coupled with the bare magnolia walls gave the rooms an imposing, straight edged, monochromatic atmosphere that definitely didn’t suit the softer, natural curves of Rotunda. Nevertheless, like a Rotunda, it had boundless potential to become anything we desired.
Several weeks passed and we were finding it really difficult to connect with our environment. Things were moving along smoothly enough, but there was still a sense of being unsettled, as though everything was only temporary. Finally we decided we had to make some changes and spent a week painting, clearing, and re-organising the office. The transformation was profound, and we instantly felt like we were in a place where we could thrive, but there was one more step we felt we needed to complete; we needed a proper energy space clearing.
The event took place on a Sunday afternoon when there would be no distractions, and lasted well into the evening. We were fascinated to watch as all of the negativity from the previous occupants was dispelled and the walls were infused with powerful Rotunda energy. The next morning it felt as though the entire building had breathed a giant sigh of relief and suddenly the space was alive. It was as though the very spirit of Rotunda had moved in, and even though we had found ourselves in a square environment, the power and embodiment of living in the round had managed to transfer itself into the office.
We have always been astounded by the number of testimonials we have received from clients, expressing the life changing effect that being in a Rotunda has had on them. We believe very strongly that every Rotunda is its own unique entity and our clients have always confirmed that there is indeed a very special energy, completely distinctive to their personal round space. It has therefore amazed us that this ‘Rotunda Effect’ is so strong, we have been able to apply it to a square building. Having spent so much time in the office before the transformation we were able to immediately recognise the difference.
It is important to recognise the skill involved in understanding space, particularly in clearing it of any imprints left by previous occupant. We have been fortunate to work with renowned architect and professional space clearer, Beverly Wood, who has already metamorphosed a number of client’s lives just through her work with their environment. It is worth noting that not every space clearer is legitimate and we thoroughly encourage anyone considering this practice to do their homework before committing to it.
We know that we are still only at the start of our journey developing the office into a true, creative Rotunda environment and our next challenge will be creating the actual furnishings. However, we are excited that we now have a clean, and positive canvas on which to work.
Blogpost written by Rhiannon Webster
Small garden? Get round it!
Small garden? Get round it!
Let’s face it; not everyone has an enormous garden! But how does one get around the fact that permitted development can restrict your choice of garden building when you have a small space to work with? Answer: Get round it!
Most of us are allowed a certain amount of permitted development in our garden. This is hugely advantageous when looking to increase your living or working space and are thinking of the addition of a conservatory or garden room but can be restrictive if the garden isn’t as large as you’d like it to be!
Most garden rooms have either pitched, mono-pitched or flat roofs. The Pitched roof gives a beautiful feeling of space and is a welcome addition to a more traditional garden where it’s important to keep the style of your garden room in keeping with the existing buildings. The mono-pitched and flat roofs are a contemporary solution if you wanted a square, functional room without the charm (perfect for bike sheds and offices). We define the Rotunda cathedral roof as a pitched roof. This airy, open, loft style roofing system gives you breathing space and a marvellous aesthetic feature.
Here in lies the problem; pitched roof + small garden. Most of our clients ask us how far a garden building must be positioned from the boundary to comply with permitted development guidelines.
Any building sited closer than 2m to the boundary (ie: snugly up against the fence or tucked into a corner – which is where most of us ideally would like to place a garden building) must be less than 2.5m tall. If your garden is a wee bit on the small side, this would give you only a couple of options:
Site your garden-room 2m from the boundary – which could mean it fills the entire central space of the lawn!
Settle instead for a flat-roofed garden building which is no taller than 2.5m high
Oh no! There must be another way?
Fortunately, there is! We’ve been working with a couple of our clients to bring them the solution for their snug little gardens…..
By reducing the overall size of the Rotunda and creating a reduced height bespoke front door we’ve developed the 2.1m (7ft) internal diameter BABY-ROTUNDA!
It’s pretty adorable. The same features and functionality still apply, and with over 2m internal diameter, this means you can still pop a single airbed in there for a surprise visitor and have enough room to sit and meditate, enjoy a cup of tea or work on your art. With an overall height of under 2.4m you can site this little building snugly up to the fence without needing to apply for planning permission (your intended use might warrant planning though – please do check before purchasing) and you still have the artisan charm of a cathedral roof and bespoke detailing which can only been found with a Rotunda!
So, if you’ve got a tiny garden but you’d still like a little sanctuary in the round please feel free to chat with us; we think we’ve just ‘got round’ the space problem and we have a solution for you!
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
Living in Yurts – the very first Prefabricated Houses
Living in Yurts – the very first Prefabricated Houses
Recently I’ve been chatting with friends who live in a ‘yurt’ about my desire to make the transition myself and naturally I find myself drawing comparisons to our lovely Rotundas – weighing up the pros and cons of a simply canvas cylinder or a timber framed circular dwelling.
Our British climate mightn’t be particularly well suited to perpetual canvas living but a few hardy folk do indeed live in yurts through all seasons and are seemingly very happy. Since my very first introduction to circular buildings several years ago (and my ongoing passion for living, working and relaxing in the round) I’ve been fascinated by the history and the flexibility of the yurt. For those of you who aren’t overly familiar with the yurt, it’s a Mongolian structure (Genghis Khan and his horde used them) built primarily from latticed wood (to produce the cylindrical wall system) held together by a wooden band with a roof which is formed by long poles which extend from the top of the walls to arrive at a central point called the “crown” (which is a small circular opening, traditionally was used as a smoke hole) which provides both natural daylight and a beautiful focal point. The Yurt was born into existence by nomadic tribes who needed a house that could be easily constructed and moved, built with materials they had on hand (wool and wood) which was lightweight enough to be carried by a couple of horses and would be comfortable enough to withstand the winters but provide a cool retreat in the summer.
Estimated to have been created about 2,500 years ago, this central Asian design is still being used today as living spaces and quirky holiday retreats for the people all over the UK and I can see why.
An Eco-friendly round living space has enormous appeal for many of us and maximises the greatest use of floor area, is a natural and unobtrusive structure with minimal impact to the surrounding landscape and ground it’s sited on, they’re quick to erect and dismantle and they are warm and cosy when the fire is lit. The downsides, as far as I can see are that the yurt itself, being a central Asian design, isn’t particularly in-keeping with the British Countryside; there are very few (if any) windows and those that do are invariably old UPVC units from a brick-built domestic house, there are no electrics (so, no hair-dryer ladies I’m afraid) nor is there insulation and they need quite a bit of maintenance such as re-waterproofing the canvas and tightening the ropes. In fact, most UK holiday sites are required to take their Yurts down during the winter period which only really brings them revenue during the summer months.
Although I have a strong attraction to the traditional yurt I do firmly believe that after 2,500 years the yurt is due for a significant upgrade. Whilst in the process of looking for some land so my family and I can live off-grid and in greater harmony with nature, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Rotunda is in fact the modern (and upgraded) equivalent to the Mongolian Yurt, and it’s not a moment too soon. Our current civilisation (although many of us keen for a more sustainable living arrangement) has a requirement for a supply of electricity for modern day appliances and would expect to have a structure which mightn’t need to be removed and reassembled numerous times as the Mongol travellers did. Our climate can be bitterly cold in the winter months and thus, it would be advantageous to have a fully insulated building which would retain the heat and not lose it all though a single layer of canvas. Most notably, the Rotunda is a timber-clad building making the most of the British Larch which we source locally. A design which is more in-keeping with the British countryside but is also reminiscent of Swedish log cabins, traditional barns and lodges which provide more stability, durability and the option of modern day appliances and in-house entertainment (which could of course be powered by alternative energy sources)
So, thank you Yurt for the beauty and joy which you’ve provided for 2,500 years but personally I’d place my bets on the new equivalent which is much more suited to our climate, addresses our need to conserve energy and provides a more long-term living arrangement.
Yurt, my friend, you have evolved.
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
Ten Reasons to Invest in a Garden Room this Spring
Ten Reasons to Invest in a Garden Room this Spring
- Separating your work space from your home environment is crucial to maintaining a positive work life balance. The majority of us who’ve all experienced working from the kitchen table have all struggled to remain focused on the task in hand and spent an inordinately long time nibbling on something easily accessible from the fridge/putting the laundry on or just being interrupted by the friendly neighbour who thought it’d be a good time to pop round for an impromptu cup of tea. A garden office or garden studio is separate from the house, from the distractions and from the ever-alluring fridge It’s absolutely wonderful to be able to lock your garden office door on a Friday afternoon (preferably leaving your mobile behind!) and head into the weekend without asking your family to share their Sunday meal at the dining table with your office equipment.
- Reclaim the VAT back as a business expense. A Garden Room is a temporary building and if you are a fully VAT registered business you may be able to claim the full 20% VAT back.
- Reduce your energy Bills working in a high-energy saving garden building and working away from the main house does mean that you no longer have to heat the whole building, but just one room. The benefits of low wattage LED lighting, natural daylight flooding through the roof-light dome, outstanding thermal dynamics and high levels of natural insulation means that it will cost you next to nothing to heat and light your garden room, garden office or studio!
- Reduce your Commute to the office! A garden room is saving you money by reducing the need for train travel/office lunches and parking fees.
- More time in bed or you can make the most of that time you would have been commuting to the office by making an extra special breakfast with your family, starting work earlier (!) or just having an extra 30 minutes in bed!
- Flexibility to work around other commitments. Working in a dedicated space at your home will also ensure that you can fit other scheduled appointments such as doctors visits and school runs around your working day and you can work to your own schedule whilst maximising the time you have in the day to ensure your priorities are achieved.
- Clean Air and a healthy environment is immensely beneficial to your working day. Being surrounded by your garden and working in a timber framed, naturally insulated and breathable garden room, office or studio is a much healthier environment for you and your employees/colleagues. Eliminating the chances of Sick building syndrome (which usually occurs in those employed in buildings containing many people who are working closely together, especially in new buildings with sealed windows.) http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Sick-Building-Syndrome.htm
- Increase the value of your home whilst giving you an additional room with infinite possibilities. A garden room is a house extension and a lifestyle statement and as such could add value to your home in the instance that you would be looking to sell it in the future.
- Save money on a house extension of traditional construction. A traditionally constructed house extension or conservatory may cost more and require significantly more planning and site preparation than a prefabricated garden studio.
- Leasing options if you’re self-employed or have a small business, the cost of purchasing a garden building might be higher than renting space so leasing a Rotunda through your business may also mean that you can lease your Garden studio to obtain all of the benefits of a garden-office but enable you to purchase or return it at the end of your term.
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
Natural vs. Affordable – What is the Value of Conscious Manufacturing?
Natural vs. Affordable
Someone asked me recently how we could make the Rotunda more affordable for the average consumer. A crucial question, and one which has been weighing heavily on my mind for quite some time. It drove me to sit down and analyse the materials within buildings in terms of cost and how we might reduce this.
Frustratingly enough, all of the natural elements which I personally really care about are the ones which cost us the most. Hemp insulation is a big one, as are the hand-crafted Douglas Fir doors and windows, not to mention the Zero Formaldehyde Ecologique MDF & PLY components.
A friend told me yesterday that ‘Rowland Homes’ in Leyland were giving a talk to a school group on one of their building sites yesterday; a demonstration on ‘How to build a house’. Core components? You guessed it, Breeze Blocks, Polystyrene Insulation and Bricks. My blood ran cold. That’s how they build a house, driven purely by profit margins and fast build times – but to what cost? The scientific community are already aware that both formaldehyde and polystyrene are toxic to human health and are known carcinogens. And that’s just in the building, what about the manufacturing process? What about the disposal and degeneration of these materials in the landfill sites and waterways? And let’s not even talk about the embodied energy of the bricks they use and the amount of carbon released to produce them. Given that we now live in a time where the natural environment should be the primary focus of our attention (especially within education) it’s questionable that this talk is of much benefit to the next generation (who almost certainly will be suffering the consequences of such blatant disregard for the environment for the sake of profits).
Only this morning, Radio 4 were discussing the findings of the MacMillan Cancer Trust that by 2020 50% of us will have or will have experienced cancer in our lifetimes.
This only serves to harden my resolve. Yes, of course I want my business to be successful, but do I really have to utilise cheap and hazardous materials in order to be competitive in the marketplace? Or do I stand firm and stay true to my values? Where does the “value” lie exactly?
If we talk of the detrimental cost to the natural environment and our health then I’d say that it’s costing us greatly to keep things cheap.
Who’s picking up the tab here for cheap buildings? If it’s not you, the consumer, and it’s certainly not the manufacturer then who’s paying supporting that deficit? It’s the soil, it’s the local wildlife, it’s the ocean-life with the seas filled to the brim of disintegrating plastics (which is ending up in our food chain, incidentally) and it’s the waterways and our landfill sites.
The “value” then, of using natural materials is of great importance and it reduces the “cost” to our health and the natural world.
So then, this poses the question, which to we value more? Are we actually perceiving cost accurately? Furthermore, are we, as consumers (and indeed, manufacturers) truly weighing up the costs of our profit margins or underestimating the value of what matters most – our planet?
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
The Ergonomics of a Garden Office
er·go·nom·ics
Noun: The study of efficiency in working environments.
Let me fix my beady little eyes on you for a moment and ask the all important question… “What is a Garden Office?”
…A building at the bottom of the garden, you say? An insulated shed? (Hmm… another try perhaps…) some of you might like to think of a garden office as a high-spec modular building, the ultra modern alternative to a home extension…? Close… An eco-pod…? Well, yes; I suppose all of the above are true, because the simplest way to define it is a room or building being used as a place of work, in the garden. A garden office could be just about anything, old potting shed, an uber-modern prefab or a 30ft greenhouse (incidentally, there are some garden offices which do bear a striking resemblance a greenhouse if you’re looking for that kind of thing). With the wide array of Garden Offices available in the UK at the moment, the choice and varying specifications are staggering (granted, we’re one of the more unusual ones). So, what do you look for? What makes it appropriate for work? How can one vary so much from another? Surely they’re all meant to do the same thing, right? Not necessarily.
Any space where you will spend most of your working day or will spend your time doing those things that you plan on using your garden office for (a craft room, art studio, music studio, secluded hideaway…) must therefore be designed for that purpose. I remember installing a beautiful O-Pod in Kent for an artist who wanted a minimalist space and was absolutely thrilled with the natural daylight which flooded in through the roof-light dome, the sparse unfurnished whitewashed walls and simple engineered oak floor which gave him the perfect minimalist studio. The following week however, we designed and installed little 3m diameter classroom for a local primary school and fitted it with brightly painted floor to ceiling bookcases, low level desks, bright green 2ft high frog-themed chairs and high-level shelving which ran around most of the perimeter of the room. It was jam packed with toys and learning equipment, and it was designed to be used in this way.
One thing to consider when purchasing a garden office or outdoor home office is how you will furnish it, if the garden building manufacturer provides this service and what does it need to do to bring out your most productive side? From experience, I’ve worked in a circular garden office for several years and the energy in the space is nothing short of invigorating. It’s bizarre how busy and uplifted one can feel in a space with no corners. But don’t just take my word for it, pushing my esoteric claims aside for a moment, there IS a certain logic to using a circular garden office; let me explain why:
With a Curved Wall comes a Curved Desk
I remember reading an article by Laurence Llewelyn Bowen several years ago passionately divulging the infinite benefits of the ‘Radial Kitchen’ which held me in rapture. Such an odd concept, who’d have thought of a round kitchen…? But, it makes sense! Once you remove the corners and design your kitchen to a perfect circle, you have an astonishingly functional environment which curves around you like a flight-deck. Nothing is out of reach but nothing gets in your way. Deep cupboards make up the lost space where the corners once were and the flow around such an environment is just ideal. So incredibly functional. The same goes for a working office environment. A curved desk, along with curved shelves running above and alongside makes much more sense, ergonomically. You’re just one swivel chair away from perfect productivity!
Optimum Levels of Natural Daylight
Back in the Victorian era there were several Round Houses built in England as domestic homes for wealthy landowners who were caught up in a superstitious belief that the ‘devil could hide in corners’. As amusing as this might seem to us nowadays, there is a definite advantage to eliminating those dark shadowy corners and building in the round. Light, bright, airy spacious curves! The light simply bounces off the walls. We’ve found that with the addition of a double glazed roof-light dome in the centre of the ceiling, the natural daylight floods the room even when it’s in a shady position. This makes a circular space ideal for any creative pursuits, and will certainly save you needing to flick that light-switch on the way in to the garden office. You’ll find that as long as it’s daylight, the room will be light and airy. It’s something called ‘Solar Gain’ and my goodness, it works.
Excellent Acoustics
Whether this is due to the fact that there are no seams and/or corners which can allow for noise to leak from, or just that sound reverberates particularly well in a circular space, a round building promotes excellent acoustics and our little Rotundas are practically soundproof. We’ve tested it on several occasions, albeit not the most scientific of processes with one person jumping up and down like a crazed chimpanzee and shouting at the top of their lungs whilst several of us stand outside the door straining to hear them, but, I’m sure this goes part-way to explaining how we’ve come to this conclusion. Nevertheless, if you’ve got important conference calls which you need to make and you don’t want to be disturbed by your children playing in the garden or a Boeing 747 flying overhead, this might be something which could actually enhance your productivity.
Airflow and Energy Saving
Ok, a little more technical than the previous points but one of the most important! The ‘thermal dynamics’ in a round garden room means that the air circulates naturally and the heat is retained in the building as it rotates slowly. In essence, the warm air gently rises in the room and hits the cool surface of the roof-light dome in the centre. This then cools the air and it slowly drops down again in the middle of the space only to then circulate upwards again and it repeats this invisible merry dance, naturally. Providing you with a warm and airy environment which of course, can only provide you (and your pot-plants) with the most optimal productive garden office environment!
Fewer Chemicals in Construction
Worryingly unbeknownst to the majority of us, there are plenty of hidden ‘nasties’ out there in the modern built environment such as Polystyrene, Polyurethane, formaldehyde and other chemicals, plastics and resins which are known carcinogens. Sick building syndrome is a poorly understood phenomenon where people have a range of symptoms related to a certain building, most often a workplace, and it’s believed to be down to some of the toxins we’re breathing in though the walls, paint finishes and compounds released by everyday building materials. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the air inside your home is 2 to 5 times more polluted than the outdoors and this could also be the case with a new outdoor studio or garden office. In Australia, researchers watched what happened when a small law firm moved from their normal office building into a 5 Green Star-rated space. They found that sick leave was reduced by 39%, typing speed and accuracy improved by 9% and the lawyers’ billable hours increased by 7%. Workers also self-reported fewer headaches and eye soreness. Perhaps then, it’s worth noting which chemicals are being used inside the cavity of the garden offices that might have caught your eye? If it’s a petrochemical based polystyrene or polyurethane it might be wise to ask for a natural alternative. After all, an eco-pod or eco garden office filled with carcinogens but acclaimed for it’s aesthetics and air-tightness might be akin to smoking being hailed as ‘healthy’ in the 1920’s. We’ve still got a long way to go!
All in all, if you’re looking for a productive working environment, it’s the little things that we might overlook which could end up making all the difference. Natural Daylight, great air quality, high-performance (natural) insulation, great acoustics and curved furniture might be those little (but big) details which could make your work day in a garden office the most productive you could possibly imagine.
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
Shed Culture & Modular Buildings
Shed Culture & Modular Buildings
With the media showcasing all things ‘shed’ and ‘compact living’ such as Chanel 4’s “George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces” and regular features in the papers and lifestyle magazines; the British public are going bananas over sheds and shed-like cabins!
Now this is all well and good, until the Modular Buildings Industry gets swept-up in the media typhoon and thrown into the mix! A few very talented Architects are seemingly delighted when their modular buildings and garden rooms are being highlighted as worthy of “Shed Love” and suchlike; others are as proud as puffed up pigeons to be providing garden offices to the ever growing numbers of UK “Shed-Workers” and will advertise this wholeheartedly. Am I seriously the only person in this industry reeling back in horror? Don’t get me wrong, there are some beautiful little cabin-esque sheddy structures being promoted in the UK right now, one imported model recently caught my eye, cute little hexagonal structures which are used predominantly as BBQ huts. Pretty as they might be, they are… SHEDS. Cheap as chips and imported from abroad en masse as fast as those big Arctic trucks can carry them to grace the gardens of our shed-smitten British public.
Similarly, the amount of enquiries we receive asking us to build a Roundhouse at the same price and specification of one of these sheds is staggering. Only too often have I lain awake at night seriously contemplating starting a shed-company! There is an enormous difference between a cabin, shed, garden building, glamping pod, eco-pod, garden office, modular building and a high-specification eco-dwelling!
For us, a modular building is architecturally designed, it’s signed off by a structural engineer, it is built to comply (even if not completely necessary) to Buildings Regulations and it’s built as an additional room to your house or business – to be used throughout the depths of winter! It’s a house extension. Not a shed!
So, next time you’re drawn into the hazy glow of a pretty little cabin with the bitumen felt roof and flowers round the door, ask yourself what it is you need to use the space for – will you be happy shivering at the bottom of the garden mid-February wearing gloves as you attempt to type with your feet slowly turn blue, numbing on the frozen floorboards? Is it better to think “Modular Building” and all of the joy this can bring you, for many decades, all year round, or “pretty summer-house” which you will avoid at all costs post-November? Saving money now in the summer by purchasing a cheap alternative is only a temporary gain, whereas the ‘garden room’ is an asset which will stay with you and be utilised and loved for life.
I for one, have ceased to lie awake and ponder the short-term gains of the shed or summerhouse and am firmly back in the camp of High-specification ‘modular buildings’ because I know, that in twenty years time, (and in January) our Rotundas will still be used as much as they were when they were first installed. That makes me happy. Will the British public see the difference? Give it a few years, and I believe they will.
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
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