Imagine a country dotted with hobbit-like, eye-pleasing pods that people live, work, and play in. And imagine some of those pods were zero-carbon garden offices. That’s PassivPod‘s vision.
PassivPod is a small enterprise that seeks to mitigate carbon emissions, benefit people’s health, and ease the housing crisis’ burden with their elegant design.
The enterprise is the brainchild of Mark Pellant and his team, Koru Architects. Pellant came together with business consultant, Clive Bonny in 2016. And the pair are now seeking investors to help bring their pods to life.
Forty percent of the UK’s CO2 emissions and 59% of waste come from construction. In comparison, the PassivPod is completely zero carbon. Prefabricated and put up on-site, the PassivPod causes none of the usual building disruption.
Solar panels, intelligent use of large windows for natural light, and quality insulation make the pods completely sustainable. And they look good too. The design is registered, which means you won’t get anything else like this for at least 25 years.
The garden office industry is really booming now
Pellant and his team originally designed the pods as an ecological holiday option for the 2014 Sunday Times and British Homes EcoHaus competition. But they have a far wider application than that.
With barely any changes made to the original design, PassivPod could be used for schools, housing and garden studios, to mention just a few of its uses. But it’s the zero-carbon garden offices industry that’s really booming right now.
Breathe more easily in your zero-carbon garden office
What makes PassivPod a good option for a garden office? “It’s all about bringing nature into the home,” says commercial director, Clive Bonny. The pods are biophilic, meaning they are designed with their natural surroundings in mind. “Natural materials with no chemicals improve health and wellbeing,” says Bonny.
It’s true that carbon dioxide builds up in large buildings with ventilation systems installed such as communal offices. And research shows that this has a negative impact on cognitive performance.
That’s just one of the things PassivPod seeks to combat. Air flows more easily in an elliptical shaped building than it does in a typical square box. That’s not to mention the psychological effects that come from being in a building that blends into nature rather than one that seems to fight it.
The pods are completely carbon neutral and are made from a web of hexagonal timber shapes, fitted together to resemble a beehive . “Timber is a living, breathing structure,” says Bonny. “It absorbs carbon dioxide and emits oxygen”.
So not only does it look beautiful, the PassivPod actually helps you to breathe.
Even looking at pictures of them on a screen induces a calming effect. There’s something about their sweeping edges, their large, glass panels, and their beehive-like structure that seems to sooth the soul and make the breath more fluid. It’s hard not to want one!
Now could be the time to ask some searching questions
Is now the time to consider making changes to your working environment? PassivPod thinks so. “One of the lessons we’ve learned from the 2020 pandemic is that we don’t all have to spend valuable money and energy commuting to the office every day,” says Bonny. In fact, some companies are reporting that their employees have been more constructive since they started working from home.
It’s looking likely that working from home is here to stay. While setting up a makeshift office at the kitchen table may have worked through lockdown, it’s unlikely to be a sustainable option.
So if you’re in the market for a sustainable garden office, PassivPod could be just what you’ve been looking for.
The designers welcome your feedback. So let them know what you think here.