GARDEN / PODS
Pods for life Where summer houses and garden offices were once the only options for al fresco living, garden pods are increasingly becoming the ‘go to’ design for outdoor living space. Words: Debbie Orme
G
arden rooms have been growing in popularity for some time now, providing extra living/working/ leisure space in a relatively cost-effective manner, but, where garden rooms have been built as permanent fixtures, garden pods are now providing a striking focal point in garden landscapes.
Characteristics
116 / SELFBUILD / SUMMER 2019
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Unlike garden rooms, pods are designed and manufactured off site – usually from three to 10 weeks from the point of receiving the deposit (often 50 per cent) – and are then delivered fully constructed and installed in your garden on a concrete base or on simple piled foundations which are a bit more expensive but can be installed in any weather. Also unlike garden rooms, the good news is that, if you decide to move house, or decide that you no longer need your pod, it can be moved and reinstalled elsewhere. Most garden pod sizes and heights have been designed to negate the need for planning permission. As with any garden construction in NI or ROI planning permission is required if the pod is installed at the front or side of the frontage of the house or if it takes up more than 50 per cent of the garden. It also has to be within 2.5 metres of the boundary. If you are only purchasing a pod for your own use, then the above typically applies. If, however, you are purchasing a pod for business purposes, such as the current trend for pods used for ‘glamping’ (glamorous camping), then planning permission is definitely required. It’s considered best practice to check with the planners, whatever your plans. Unlike sheds or garden rooms, pods are all built for year-round use. Most pods are fully insulated and come with heating, lighting and power pre-installed. Electrics include spotlights, panel heater and a data
outlet for broadband/phone. If services such as these are required, they will usually be fed off your house. Many garden pods come with a choice of interior fittings to match the function of the pod, although most companies will also facilitate your plans for a bespoke interior.
Styles and costs
The range of pod designs is quite extensive from curvaceous timber office-type buildings, to armadillo-shaped cladded structures, to rotating spheres. You do have the option of purchasing your own kit to self-assemble in the garden, but most people opt to have one built off-site and
‘The great thing about garden pods is that they can be manufactured in a matter of weeks and installed within a few hours.’