Garden office with room for staff
An 18sqm Lowlander garden office in Edinburgh by JML Garden Rooms, built for a home-based business with staff, with planning approved in a conservation area.
While many garden offices are designed for a single person working from home, they can also provide an excellent solution for larger businesses. A garden office offers a professional environment, and by including a toilet and kitchenette, it helps maintain a clear boundary between work and home life-ideal for those employing staff.
If you’re a lone worker, you can often build a garden office under Permitted Development rules. However, if staff will also use the space, a full Planning Application will be required. This is because the structure would no longer be classed as ‘incidental’ to the main house-a key criterion under Permitted Development guidelines.
At a glance
- Size: 18sqm, based on the Lowlander design.
- Why the garden: The client runs a business from home with staff coming and going, and wanted the workspace away from family life.
- Planning: The conservation area meant planning permission was needed from the start; JML managed the application with the City of Edinburgh Council.
- Fit-out: Cupboards and shelving fitted into alcoves formed by the corner glazing, with audio-visual systems, Cat 6 cabling, telephone lines and floor boxes so no cables trail across the floor.
- Company: JML Garden Rooms, who removed an existing structure, put in foundations for the sloping site and laid a path to the house.
18 sqm garden office
JML Garden Rooms designed and built this 18 sqm office in Edinburgh, based on their Lowlander design. The client, running a home-based business, wanted a dedicated workspace away from the distractions of family life. With staff regularly coming and going, the solution was a separate garden office to restore balance and productivity.
Expertise in garden office planning applications
Situated in a Conservation Area, this project required planning permission from the outset. JML Garden Rooms offer comprehensive support, managing the planning process as part of their service.
Thanks to their extensive experience with the City of Edinburgh Council, the planning application was efficiently handled, and approval was granted swiftly.
Turnkey garden office solution
JML Garden Rooms provide a seamless turnkey service, managing all aspects of the project from start to finish. For this build, the process included:
- Removing an existing structure.
- Installing a foundation system to address the sloping site.
- Constructing the garden office.
- Adding finishing touches such as a pathway connecting the office to the house.
- Bespoke Interior Design
The interior was tailored to the client’s specifications, featuring a run of cupboards and custom shelving within alcoves formed by the corner glazing.
The electrical setup was equally bespoke, including:
- Audio-visual systems.
- Cat 6 cabling and telephone lines for optimal connectivity.
- Floor boxes to keep power cables neatly integrated, avoiding trailing wires across the floor.
Learn more about JML Garden Rooms
To learn more about how JML Garden Rooms can design a space uniquely suited to your needs, contact the team on 01764 663 668 or email info@jmlgardenrooms.co.uk. Visit jmlgardenrooms.co.uk to explore their portfolio.
