Moonalabs share details of how they created a home gym building for their clients.
Our newest London-based customer has long been considering creating a personal gym and well-being space in the garden of their Islington property. The pandemic only served to catalyse this interest, especially as gyms were closed for a long time. But like most people, our customer wanted to give themselves the best chance to maintain the habit of staying fit and well.
They were also considering purchasing a state-of-the-art Peloton treadmill which needed a dedicated space away from the main living area.
After considering a range of garden room suppliers, the customer settled on Moonalabs due to its high-quality, luxury feel, utilising exquisite materials like Teak wood from Kerala, India (interestingly, this is the same location where Rolls Royce source the wood for the interior trims of their lovely cars) as well as its competitive price.
Another important point, as is increasingly the case with many of our customers, was the matter of ensuring the materials utilised and the manufacturing processes involved are as environmentally friendly as possible. It was compelling for our customer to know that Teak is a highly sustainable timber and are FSC-certified (Forestry Stewardship Council), which means that for every tree chopped, more than one is planted. Moreover, Teak is a rare wood in that its natural oil content protects it from the elements and pest attacks. Therefore, harsh chemical treatment can be avoided, and you are left with a product in its natural state.
Teak has the highest anti-decay properties of all woods and can last for generations (there are still many beautiful ancient wooden artefacts constructed from Teak found in ancient caves of India that are over a thousand years old!). This meant that our customer could be assured that their garden room will look great for many years to come.
Finally, our customer was also reassured that as all the whole substructure of the building, including the walls, floor and roof panels, are all brilliantly insulated, ensuring year-round comfort when using their new garden gym.
Our customer sequentially had a detailed consultation call with our design team. It was then that plans really started to take shape, and a number of key considerations were included:
It has to look and feel good
The new home gym really needed to deliver the “wow factor”. The customer chose a walnut stain for the external teak cladding and light and contemporary maple wood veneer for the interior.
Equally important was the inclusion of full height toughened glass windows and doors in the front to allow maximum light into the building, while balancing the need for insulation and keeping the remaining walls solid.
Our client also specified full height mirrors, venetian blinds, and energy-efficient LED lights. All wiring would be sensibly hidden in veneered coving, and all door and window handles, as well as light switches, would have a real quality feel.
How will it be used?
It was really important to consider how the new gym would be utilised, and a key element of it was the equipment that will be located in the gym, its size and overall weight (a Peloton Treadmill is not a light piece of kit – it weighs around 200 kgs!).
Therefore, the garden room needed to be sized up properly for efficient use and able to withstand the wear and tear a home gym can experience. In other words, something that was fit for purpose or rather Fit for Keeping Fit!
Where will it go?
When it came to installation, we were made aware that the location of the build came with complications, as access to the back garden was restricted. This would impact both the groundworks and the construction of the building.
Working with our local team, we completed a full survey of the area, including access points to the property as well as parking facilities. Together we established a full project logistics plan alongside the client, which provided them with a great sense of comfort and trust, knowing that all matters were being efficiently handled.
The concrete foundation plinth was the first thing to be installed, and we like to get this in place at least five days before we commence the assembly of the garden room itself. It also enabled us to liaise with our electrician to ensure that all power supplies and cable routing are sensibly located.
(It is interesting to note that sometimes due to the location of the garden room or prevailing ground conditions, a concrete foundation plinth is not appropriate. Moonalabs have alternative solutions to overcome this issue, including foundation ground screw systems. We can advise on the most appropriate approach during the initial site survey).
How long does it take to build a garden room?
The garden room installation itself went like clockwork, and we always trial build the garden room before it leaves the factory to ensure maximum efficiency. All of our rooms are built with modular components, ensuring consistency of fit and finish during the assembly process.
On average, it takes a day to build the main structure and an additional day to complete the fit-out of the interior, connect the electricity and finally, complete a rigorous quality check before we leave the site, ensuring both the client and Moonalabs are 100% satisfied with the finished product. The whole building is brought to life in the same manner as constructing a large model aeroplane kit!
All About Moonalabs
Moonalabs is a new entrant to the fast-expanding UK Garden Rooms market. The increasing need for home offices as more people look to get more out of their existing home environment. As such., well-built, brilliantly-designed garden rooms with exceptional sustainability credentials are proving to be a very compelling investment for many UK homeowners.
Moonalabs is a UK based business with manufacturing facilities in the beautiful and scenic state of Kerala in South West India. It is the home of the best Teak, and has a rich tradition of timber-based craftsmanship. These key factors have drawn us to this wonderful part of the world to bring to our customers garden rooms of incredible quality and value.
Call us on 0204 509 1150 or email us at hello@moonalabs.com to book your sales consultation.
