Plectrum and Pill: two compact garden office pods from WorkAway Office
WorkAway Office sells two architect-designed garden office pods for small gardens: the angular Plectrum, shaped for a corner, and the rounded Pill, for the end or side of a garden.
WorkAway Office designs two garden office pods for small urban and suburban gardens. Both are the work of Lendel Stephens Ltd, an architectural practice, and both sit at the compact end of the market: one shaped for a corner, the other for the end or side of a garden. The Plectrum was featured here when WorkAway first launched it and it has been a popular part of our Super Mini Garden Room Guide.
The brand’s premise is straightforward – a garden office should be a considered architectural object rather than a functional box. That distinction is visible in the choice of form and material palette and the WorkAway range stands out in the market because of it.
At a glance
- Sizes: The Plectrum is 2.365m × 2.365m and the Pill 2.455m × 1.51m, both 2.5m high, within the Permitted Development height limits for most gardens.
- Construction: Structurally insulated panels throughout, with 74mm EPS in the walls and floor and 98mm in the roof, black corrugated aluminium cladding, an EPDM roof and a double-glazed oak door that lets light in.
- Inside: OSB walls and ceiling and a phenolic-faced birch plywood floor, with a birch plywood lining as an upgrade, and electrics pre-wired at the factory, including sockets, an Ethernet point, spotlights and a panel heater.
- Plan packs: Construction drawings and a full component list for either model, for a self-builder or a homeowner working with their own contractor anywhere in the UK.
- Company: WorkAway, whose pods are designed by the architectural practice Lendel Stephens Ltd and installed in Greater London and Somerset, usually in two days on site.
Two distinct forms
The Plectrum is the angular model, shaped to fit neatly into a garden corner. Its footprint is 2.365m x 2.365m and it stands 2.5m high, keeping it within the height thresholds that apply under Permitted Development for most residential gardens. The corner geometry makes it particularly suited to small plots.
The Pill is the more compact of the two at 2.455m wide by 1.51m deep and 2.5m high, with a rounded form designed to sit at the end or side of a garden rather than into a corner. It was originally developed for a film producer to work from home.
Both are designed as comfortable single-person home offices for year-round use.
Construction and specification
Both models are built using structurally insulated panels throughout: 74mm EPS in the walls and floor, 98mm in the roof. Exterior cladding is black corrugated aluminium. The roof is EPDM membrane. A double-glazed oak door lets natural light into the office.
The standard interior uses orientated strand board on walls and ceiling, with phenolic-faced birch plywood flooring. A birch-faced plywood lining is available as an upgrade for a more refined finish. Electrics come pre-wired at the factory: two double sockets, an Ethernet data point, two spotlights, and a panel heater with WiFi or manual control alongside a temperature-controlled air vent. Mains connection and internet supply are arranged separately by the customer’s own electrician.
A Work Ready package for the Plectrum & Pill adds a fitted desk and shelving in coloured linoleum for £750.
Installed prices start in the mid-£14,000s for the Pill and mid-£16,000s for the Plectrum, both inclusive of VAT.
Plan packs for self-builders
One of the more accessible aspects of the WorkAway range is the plan pack, available for both models at £495. This provides a detailed set of construction drawings and a complete component list, giving a confident self-builder or a homeowner working with their own contractor everything needed to realise either design anywhere in the UK.
Modifications to layout or finish can be requested from the Lendel Stephens Ltd team from £75 per hour; fully bespoke designs can also be commissioned on application.
The WorkAway Office website includes a Permitted Development checker. If the answers leave questions unresolved, or clarification is needed on the likely route forward, the company offers a £49 Planning Position Review. Lendel Stephens Ltd review the checker’s answers alongside the property postcode and basic site context, then provide a short written recommendation. If the customer goes on to buy a WorkAway Office pod or plan pack, the fee is credited against the order.
Installation
Professional installation is currently available in Greater London and Somerset. The build typically takes two days on site. Foundation options are adjustable pedestal feet for existing hard standing, or ground screws where the ground is softer.
Learn more about WorkAway
WorkAway Office designs and supplies the Plectrum and Pill – two architect-designed garden office pods for compact urban and suburban gardens – with professional installation in Greater London and Somerset and plan packs available to buyers across the UK. Visit www.workawayoffice.co.uk.
