The Pod Garden Office from Archipod (image from Archipod)
I don’t know if it was to spur on my writing output with the prospect of escaping my basement office for cooler environs (complete with a skylight), or because she has designs on my basement office space for her own use, but my wife just pointed out this awesome Archipod Garden Office. As opposed to the funky shacks I stumbled across last year, The Pod by Archipod is designed specifically as a standalone office space. Bonus points for the gull wing door, cedar shakes, concealed mood lighting, built in ergonomic desk and “working in a bathysphere” vibe.
I have to admit, this is something I could see myself moving into, although I’d need a little more shelf space for my action figures (ahem, office artwork) and the diameter of just under 10 feet means it wouldn’t be much bigger than the cubicles I swore off several years ago. The company that manufactures these is based in the UK, so its claims of not normally requiring approval or requiring only electrical and telephone hook-up may not stand up to zoning realities this side of the pond. And, although it’s insulated and heated, I’m not sure that it’s insulated and heated sufficiently to stand up to the Canadian climate. I’d be perfectly willing to give it a shot should the manufacturer be interested in establishing a test site in my back yard, though. Pricing varies (and obviously, shipping would come into play if one were to attempt to get a Pod in North America), but according to company FAQs:
“A fully enclosed, insulated ‘Pod’ with cedar shingles, door, glazed roof and foundations would start in the region of £15,000 excluding VAT and delivery.“
That’s roughly $25 grand plus tax in US dollars, which would probably buy a lot of commonplace square garden sheds that could be converted to an office. Mind you, I’ve yet to see anything in Home Depot that includes a gull wing door or portals…
