Home Offices of the Future
A little bit about us…
Archipod (pronounced ‘arr-ke-pod’, as in ‘architecture’) was set up in Late 2007 to create garden office buildings specifically designed to complement a garden landscape. They had be efficient, ergonomic to use, and a little bit different to the standard fair for a garden office of a shed or timber box.
Our initial design is ‘The ArchiPod’ – an insulated sphere of approx. 3m diameter.
The structure is prefabricated in sections that are sized to allow all the parts to be carried through a house, so it doesn’t matter where you live, we will be able to get the ‘Pod’ into your back garden.
The prototype Archipod was completed in the Spring of 2010, and later that year we created the first 4m diameter ‘FatPod’, by simply making the central dome bigger, and pushing the wall panels further out.
Because of its unique shape and the generous natural light from the roof dome, the ‘Pod’ actually looks bigger on the inside than the outside.
An Archipod office should not normally require Planning Permission, and is delivered and installed as an integrated package, only requiring an electricity supply and a telephone connection from the house. Our FAQ’s may very well answer any queries you have.
We are a small, friendly and flexible company, and if you have specific ideas or requirements, we would be happy to discuss these with you. Our registered office is in Wheldrake, York, North Yorkshire, with our workshop in the nearby village of Elvington, near to the Yorkshire Air Museum. Please feel free to Contact Us if you would like further information.
Exterior
A little bit about the environment
Having a strong environmental policy is very important to us here at Archipod. One of the major influences in starting up the company was frustration at the commuting lifestyle, with its attendant road congestion, air and noise pollution, road rage, running costs and time loss.
Therefore, we here at Archipod wanted to do something to hopefully encourage more people to work from home by providing a high quality working environment without the need to commute, and reduce environmental impact by its use.
Interior
Our key environmental design philosophies
- The ‘Pod’ is predominantly made from timber, which is the world’s most replenishable construction material. All our timber comes from FSC registered suppliers.
- The design and size is optimised to minimise wastage in production.
- Heating is by way of an electric panel radiator, which is the most efficient way to heat a small, independent and highly insulated space such as a garden office. One advantage of working in a separate garden office is that it may be unnecessary to heat the main house during the day. We are currently reviewing using air source heat pumps for heating and cooling.
- Heat loss is minimised by the use of two lots of insulation – rockwool in the wall panels, and Airtec Foil insulation behind the plaster.
- The rooflight gives a high level of illumination during the day, so there is little need to resort to artificial lighting in use.
- We are currently developing alternative claddings that can use recycled or reused materials.
Testimonials
After seeing the Archipod in the Financial Times, I was sure it was what I was looking for to make our garden unusual and special. Its practical side as an outdoor sitting room is undeniable; I call it the peace pod. But its real beauty is from the outside, viewed from the different aspects of our Cotswolds landscape and glowing at night like some beautiful alien object found in the garden. It has become a real feature of our home space and we are very thankful to Chris for his attention to detail and his devotion to the integrity of the design. He even helped deliver our puppies!
I found the whole process from agreeing the brief and specification, through to feasibility review, design development and construction to be an absolute joy. The Archipod team understood my objective and budget totally and could not have been more professional and helpful in translating that with practical advice. The end product speaks for itself and I am very proud of my Pod.
I’m extremely happy with my pod. It is a very comfortable and pleasant working environment – it is beautifully light inside and has excellent soundproofing from the outside world.
It’s one of the best things we've ever bought! Its a striking design and everyone that has seen it has been impressed. It allows me to have a clear distinction between work and home and provides ample space for my consultancy business. An excellent product, backed up by a conscientious and friendly owner!
Could you cut one of those in half and add a little bit in the middle?” - So began the story of Archie, the tango pod. Ours is the pod with the orange desk, white floor and comfy sofas. The perfect work space for a small creative business – a little bigger than two need, with plenty of space for thinking, spinning on chairs and staring at the beautifully curved walls looking for inspiration.
We love the portholes in the wall and the roof, we love the way the pod looks like a hedgehog hibernating in the corner of the garden, we love the space-age way the door opens and the way every first-time visitor gasps “WoW” when they see inside.
Chris wasn’t phased by our request to dice and slice a standard pod, or by our idea for magnetic locks and orange desk. He helped us through the planning process and carefully built the pod in a cold and wet autumn.
And now a year on, the pod (or Christmas pud as the children call it) feels like it has always been there. An oasis of calm for a busy home-based business, a space which suits us perfectly, and the best investment we have made since we started the company 10 years ago.
We can’t recommend Chris and the Archipods highly enough. Every home should have one, a pod is for life.
We have had the fat pod now for around 8 years. We were looking for something a bit different and Archipod ticked all the boxes. Chris was incredibly helpful throughout the whole process and continues to provide support and aftercare to this day showing great attention to detail and pride in his work. It is one of the most amazing spaces to spend time in and each day it never loses its appeal. It always feels peaceful and the acrylic dome allowing you to see the sky and nature adds to this experience. Two windows were opted for in this pod allowing us to have great views of both sides of the garden. The door has a double locking mechanism making it very secure and the way it open is certainly novel. The cedar shingles also really add to the external wow factor and in any high winds, the wind will just move around the globe structure. Inside, the acoustics are amazing. A small radio or music from the phone can sound like a multidimensional speaker system as the sound wraps around the shape of the pod. There is so much customisation that can also be fitted to each pod, including seating, sinks, stoves, bookshelves, desks and lighting to really make each pod unique. We opted for the ceiling screen shade protector too for times when working at the computer. It also is great for moderating heat if you need to in the peak of summer and do not want the door open or dome open. In summary it is one of the best purchases we have made for our home and it will continue to serve as that great relaxing/work spaces for many years to come.