The era of merging wellbeing with the workplace is here, and professionals are nurturing their mental health by taking their work outdoors.
For Priscilla Fernandes and her husband Carl Ainsworth, after moving to a new house in London in 2019, they decided to revamp a run down shed into something more useful. Six months of remodeling later, the shed now features windows with views of their garden, a workbench, electricity, and internet perfect for the work day.
“We needed separate spaces to work due to being in virtual meetings all day — we tried working at the dining room table together, and it just was not working,” said Fernandes, an architect. “We have work-life separation between the house and the garden office. And it’s a space that both of us can use whenever required, say if we needed complete isolation for giving a presentation or concentrating on some work.”
These two aren’t the only ones considering how to make working from home more tolerable, especially as more employees shift to remote working in the long-term.
For many, trying to maintain a semblance of professionalism from their living rooms is not working, leading them to upgrade nooks and even closets in an attempt to create a real work environment. But being at home still leaves them exposed to all types of distractions.
However, garden offices may provide a better solution and can even increase the value of a property. A zen, biophilic atmosphere helps fuel creativity, productivity, and innovation.
(Featured image credit: Autonomous)