London-based architecture studio Boano Prišmontas has created a tiny prefabricated room that can be moveable to any place for those who want to work remotely.

Named My Room in The Garden, the space covers only 4-square-metre and was designed as a low-cost solution which is easy to assemble and it can be built in one day.

The studio developed the concept in response to the recent Covid-19 pandemic that caused people to provide their self isolation, while people need to continue their daily routines and work. 

The structure was built in London and due to its modular design, the room can be placed in a garden with any size. "The project aims to address the need for affordable and remote working spaces," said Boano Prišmontas. 

According to the architects, the project "is an answer to the future way of working, is a cozy prefab hideout for London gardens and courtyard spaces, perfect for those working from home or whoever is in need of pocket space, tailored to their needs and comforts." 

Having experienced on this topic for several years, Boano Prišmontas developed successful projects, including Minima Moralia (2016) and The Arches Project (2019).

The tiny room is designed with rounded corners, a semi-closed structure contains working table, shelves, other fixtures and furnitures, while providing enough space for moving. 

"Although, the need for a work-from-home solution became quite urgent lately when the Covid-19 pandemic required designers to come up with new solutions able to combine workspace with domesticity. Adapt & Disrupt!," added the studio.

"Despite the fact that the lockdown has ended in many countries around the world, an incredibly large number of people are still working from home, often without a clear date in mind when their lives will be returning to normality." 

"We believe normality is no longer there waiting for us, the pandemic brought radical changes that cannot be dismissed or ignored."

"If on one side people working from home had to find their ways to integrate work equipment within their current home setting, on the other, companies have started seeing the renting of office space as an unnecessary and avoidable cost," the firm explained. 

According to the studio, the current live/work balance has been permanently disrupted and both the office and home design standards are now outdated and almost obsolete. 

A vision for a new live/work balance distanced desks and laptop stands have populated our living rooms and saturated any shared space. "London houses, whose space standards have been squeezed to the minimum, are struggling," as the studio highlighted.

The studio added that "That’s why we believe that it is not fair that employees have to sacrifice and compromise their domestic environment any further. The solution is not to be found inside the houses, but outside." 

London houses' backyard gardens are perfect place to host home office pods, as well as courtyards, gated communities, rooftops, shared amenity spaces, and pocket parks. 

Starting from £5K for the basic module, “My Room in the Garden” is a solution for both private home-owners and for companies that could reduce their rent cost for big offices in central London by purchasing instead home office pods to their employees.

The project seeks to find a balance between low-cost and cozy design. The structure is made of digitally fabricated birch plywood modules, that can be customized according to each space and user’s need. 

Starting from a minimum of 1.8x2.4m at £5K, the home office pods can grow infinitely, by just adding more modules. All modules come at a fixed height of 2.5m which is the max height that doesn’t require planning permission.

The studio used corrugated clear polycarbonate cladding for finishes, the cladding protects the interior space from the elements and allows for natural light to flood the internal space. 

The wall modules can host different finishes such as peg wall, mirror, plain or decorated wood, etc. The user can compose the interiors to their taste and need. 

The higher-spec version includes insulated wall/roof/floor panels and glass door/windows. Sustainability Each component of the home-office pod is geometrically efficient and minimizes any material waste. 

The dimensioning of each component is based on human dimensions and standard material dimensions. The whole project is designed, manufactured, and pre-assembled in the UK.

Project facts

Project name: My Room in The Garden

Architects: Boano Prišmontas

Location: London, UK 

Size: 4m2 

Date: 2020 

All images © Dylan Drake, courtesy of Boano Prišmontas

All drawings © Boano Prišmontas

> via Boano Prišmontas