We completed this music studio last year and recently went back to get some better photos. It includes a double layer of plasterboard to reduce sound transmission and the client has added curtains to reduce the sound escaping through the windows and doors. The studio includes a shower room with WC and is clad in cedar. Windows and doors are aluminium clad timber, double glazed and argon filled. The client has been partiocularly impressed with the thermal insulation: “We have the heating on for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening and, even in the recent cold winter it has never been cold in the studio”.

Edden: 2.4x 2.4m; £6,500 complete, £4,700 bare board

Collier: 6 x 3m; £17,800 complete, £15,320 bare board

McClelland: 3 x 3m; £12,100 complete, £9,900 bare board

Rawlings: 3.2 x 3m; £11,700 complete, £9,500 bare board

Wikinson: 5 x 5m; £23,000 complete, £19,800 bare board

Fowkes: 6 x 3m; £13,500 complete, £11,000 bare board

Insulated garden office with verandah

We recently completed this insulated garden office in our home town of Harpenden. With a hipped roof clad in cedar shingles and a verrandah for the client to hang his hammock, the office provides a good sized work space away from the clients two young chindren. Although the building required planning permission because it is higher than the 2.5m limit, this was readily granted. With 120mm of insulation in the roof and our standard 100mm thick walls and floor, the office has been very warm even during the recent cold. External cladding is vertical cedar and the decking is larch. The photo is not great but we shall be taking more if and when the we see the sun again.

Our latest build has provided a home gym for a fitness enthusiast and replaced a very old shed.  Sited on a sloping site, the building is clad in long lasting cedar with double glazed, argon filled windows and doors.  As well as providing power to the gym for the exercise equipment, we also extended the Sky cable to provide entertainment whilst working out.  The gym incorporates our usual underfloor heating and plasterboard finish.  Not the greatest photo but weather has been so poor recently; better to come in the Spring!

before

after: a well insulated garden office

 This small office in Cambridge gives the owners of this property in Cambridge a really cosy place to do paperwork and removes the computer from the kitchen/dining room. Complete with underfloor heating and high quality double glazed windows and doors, the office is well insulated against the cold fen winds.  The cedar clad garden building replaced a small outhouse and fits neatly into the garden.

 Vivid Green creates studios and workshops for artists and crafts people looking for an inspiring, comfortable space in which to work.  The insulated garden buildings benefit from a high level of insulation creating warm spaces in winter and remaining cool in summer.  Recently completed installations include a sculptors’ studio, a bookbinders’ workshop and art studio.  Director Neil Johnston commented: “Our buildings have plenty of natural light and maintain an even temperature throughout the year.  Internal finishes include fire resistant pinboard which many people find very convenient to display working drawings, swatches and other materials.”  The bespoke garden buildings means that windows can be placed in any wall and size adjusted to suit.  The high quality and natural origin of the materials is appealing as is the low level of maintenance required and the security of windows and doors.

High level windows provide plenty of natural light for bookbinding

Pinboard walls inside an editors office

All Vivid Green buildings have a high level of insulation, underfloor heating and low or zero maintenance materials and components including cedar cladding to the exterior.  Options for the interior include naturally coloured, textured clay plasters as well as more conventional finishes.

Insulated garden building specialist Vivid Green recently completed a garden studio for music writer and producer Jon Musgrave which delivers excellent sound attenuation as well as a comfortable working environment.  Measuring 4.2 x 3.2 metres and with a vaulted ceiling, the high level of thermal insulation in our garden buildings significantly reduces sound transmission.  However, this was further enhanced by the addition of a number of special materials internally.   A second layer of ‘Soundblock’ plasterboard increased the mass of walls and ceiling and ‘Impactafoam’ strips were inserted between the battens and structural panels.  Finally, ‘Green Glue’ was used to secure the second layer of plasterboard.

The floor to ceiling windows give plenty of natural light but are deliberately smaller than normal to reduce sound loss.  Together with the underfloor heating and the high thermal efficiency of the windows and doors, the building exceeds the current standards for insulation in new housing.  Jon said: “this is a wonderful space in which to work, cool in Summer and warm in Winter with the added benefit of good sound insulation”.

A well insulated music studio

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Despite its size, this large office makes good use of a neglected corner of the garden

 Vivid Green recently completed this large insulated garden office in Woking for a client who had been renting office space in the town.  Partly as a cost saving measure, the client wanted a large garden office which would not be too obtrusive and chose a space at the bottom of the garden between large fir trees.  Vivid Green was chosen over competitors because of the quality of the construction and flexibility over design.  The underfloor heating was also a significant benefit and is being appreciated now the weather is on the turn.  Measuring 6 x 3m, the office provides plenty of space for a large desk, filing, bookcases etc. without dominating the garden.

Insulated garden building specialist, Vivid Green has introduced two new concepts to their range of insulated garden buildings.  Designed to offer even more value for money, these high quality garden buildings offer exactly the same standard of insulation and finish externally but now include the option of a ‘bare board’ internal finish.  Vivid Green Director, Neil Johnston commented “many more people are buying our buildings as offices or even temporary accommodation while they build their own houses and we wanted to offer them the option of completing the internal fitout themselves.  Many have the skills to carry out this work and, because of the recession, many more have the time.”  The company is able to provide a weathertight building complete with external cladding, roof covering, windows and doors in 5-10 days depending on size and this Bare Board finish is up to 15% cheaper than a normal structure.  The level of insulation is not compromised and can be as high as housing standard.

The other innovation is to offer standard designs.  To date, bespoke garden buildings have been the norm but, with a sizeable portfolio of bespoke designs completed, the company is now offering these at a reduced price.  Selecting one of these designs reduces the investment by around 10% and a further 15% can be saved if a bare board finish is chosen.  A selection from the designs available is shown below.

Small, insulated garden office

Medium sized, insulated garden office Large, insulated garden office

Large, insulated garden building with cedar clad, pitched roof

 

Large, insulated garden office

 

Medium sized insulated garden room with apex roof