This stylish two-roomed garden building by Swift Garden Rooms has been designed as a home office and gym space, but in a way, so it can evolve into other uses in the future. It features a mono-pitched roofline that offers increased headroom for users of the gym space.
When buying a garden room for use as a home gym, many people opt for a taller building than the standard 2.5m to increase the internal ceiling height. The increased ceiling height offers greater headroom when using gym equipment.
Under the Permitted Development rules, you can build a garden room taller than 2.5m if it is sited at least 2m from any boundary line. You are allowed to build a mono-pitched building that has a maximum eaves height of 2.5m sloping up to 3m at its highest point.
In this case, the mono-pitched roofline slopes from front to back, the building being 3m tall at the front and 2.5m at the rear. So, the owners will have plenty of space above their heads when using treadmills, cross trainers etc.
A partition wall divides the building into two rooms
Overall, the building is 7.87m wide, with the larger of the two rooms, the gym being 4.37m deep, with the second room, the office being 3.37m deep. This creates a stepped front elevation, which looks very attractive.
In this case, the two rooms are accessed independently of the other, with each room having its own external access. If you wanted to create a similar building with the ability to access each room internally, then the Swift team would add a door within the partition wall.
Indoor-outdoor living
Each room features a set of high-spec Aluminium powder-coated bi-fold doors on the front elevation. The doors slide to one side effortlessly, extending the room out onto the Charcol Grey composite decking that wraps around the building. This type of easy indoor-outdoor living is why many people choose to build a garden room.
Skylights create a naturally light room
Inside, as we can see, the rooms have a naturally light feel. This, in part, is thanks to the bi-fold doors at the front and the small window on the rear wall, but the addition of skylight windows plays a significant role in how light the rooms are.
The office features a 1m x 1m skylight, while the gym has a slightly larger one that is 1m x 1.5m. People often underestimate a skylight's impact on a garden room, so it is great to see them used here.
LED downlights have been positioned around the skylights. Swift Garden Rooms specify high-spec Collingwood LED lighting in their buildings.
The garden gym's electrical specification includes floor sockets
Swift Garden Rooms offer a well-specified electrical package tailored to each customer's requirements. Looking at the floorplan of this garden room, you will notice the red boxes that indicate the electrical power points. Your Swift designer will work with you to identify the best positions for sockets based on how you plan to use your room.
You will notice the red boxes shown within the room on the floorplan; these are floor sockets which are an excellent choice for gyms. By adding floor sockets where you plan to position equipment like a treadmill, you can avoid having cables draped across the floor.
Not all garden room companies offer floor sockets, but the Swift team's bespoke design service applies to each specification element.
Underfloor heating in one room, air con in the other
The personalised electrical specification was applied to the heating of the rooms too. The office features underfloor heating, ensuring a cosy workspace on the year's coldest days.
The gym, meanwhile, benefits from an air conditioning system. The owners will be able to set their prefered temperature for working out throughout the year.
A simple palette of materials that compliment each other
We are struck by this image that offers a sample of the finishes that Swift Garden Rooms are known for and how they complement each other, inside and out.
Internally, crisp plastered and decorated walls are mixed with wooden floors. Looking through the window, you can see how the crispness of the interior marries with the natural hues and the texture of the Western Red Cedar cladding. Add the block of colour of the composite decking, and you have a simple palette of finishes complimenting each other.
To learn more about this project, chat with the Swift team on 01625 875 588 or email them at support@swiftorg.co.uk. To learn more about their approach to bespoke garden room design; explore www.swiftorg.co.uk
