This prefabricated home combines Scandinavian simplicity with a breezy Californian twist

Adobu and Koto Design collaborated to design a prefabricated backyard home with off-grid capabilities, marrying Scandinavian design with sustainability.

Based in the English seaside village of Westward Ho!, the architecture studio Koto Design captures the mellow vibe of a day spent at the seashore and translates it to the home space. Inspired by Scandinavian simplicity and Japanese minimalism, the result comes through breezy, open floor layouts and organic building materials.

Designer: Koto Design x Adobu

The architecture studio is known for its extensive catalog of sustainable, prefabricated tiny homes that can be transported to locations across the globe. In a recent collaboration with the USA-based, backyard home-building company Adobu, the two studios worked together to construct a tiny, prefabricated home that marries Scandinavian design with a Californian twist.

From the outside, the backyard cabin appears like one of Koto Design’s signature tiny homes, topped off with a slightly torqued roof. While its original look maintains an elemental, wooden look without any paint, buyers can choose from an array of different finishes. The organic facades merge with large, floor-to-ceiling windows that are meant to embrace a semi-outdoor lifestyle, a common touch in Californian architecture.

Inside, the large windows work to keep the interior living spaces airy and bright, like a day spent seaside. Integrated storage compartments line the perimeter of the interior rooms to maintain the flexibility that an open-floor layout provides. Additionally, built-in furniture, like a window bench in the dining area, creates space for guests and residents to relax without introducing more furniture pieces to crowd the floor.

Koto Design is committed to delivering sustainable, prefabricated homes that don’t compromise on comfort. Each tiny home built with Adobu takes around four months to finish offsite construction, while the onsite assembly is completed in some weeks. In collaboration with Adobu, the two studios can now offer carbon-neutral homes in the USA that have a 60+ year lifespan, on and off-grid capabilities, and are built to full housing standards.

Once the tiny home finishes offsite construction, Adobu can assemble the tiny home onsite in a matter of weeks. 

The post This prefabricated home combines Scandinavian simplicity with a breezy Californian twist first appeared on Yanko Design.

Bring your yard to life with these inspirational products designs

In these pandemic-stricken times, we find ourselves spending more and more time at home. However, sitting in the same old four walls of our bedroom can become quite boring, and sometimes the only fresh air we really get is when we step out into our yards. Although we shouldn’t underestimate our backyards, they can be locations of major fun, recreation, and relaxation…depending on how we do them up! How about turning your backyard into an ideal date spot for you and your partner, or hosting a barbecue party with the best grill in the market? We’ve curated a collection of product designs to help you transform these exciting ideas into a reality! These products will turn your yard into the ultimate relaxation destination. We bet you won’t want to step out of your yard, once you introduce these products to it! From single-use shipping containers repurposed into swimming pools to a prefab tiny backyard home – these designs will majorly transform your humble backyard!

1. The Noori V02 AIRY

Boasting an enameled steel construction, the Noori V02 AIRY is a multifunctional outdoor grill, pizza oven, rocket stove, and a fire pit – all in one! Not to mention, it’s probably one of the best-looking grills I’ve seen in a long time, it’ll be the perfect visual accessory to your backyard. The grill consists of six refractory concrete internal plates. These plates + an AIRY cylinder make up the grill’s innovative AIRY system (which also gives the product its name). This basically means that to set up an open fire, you simply need to remove a few refractory plates from within the AIRY cylinder, which instantly exposes the flames, creating the mesmerizing flame dance we all love to watch in an open fire!

2. Cover’s tiny backyard home

Located in Los Angeles’s Highland Park neighborhood, the backyard tiny home was designed and constructed by Cover as a rental experience for Lazarus and her partner, Didi. Like most of Cover’s structures, the Highland Park tiny home is a prefab project. The architects at Cover oversaw each of the home’s design and construction decisions, creating an idyllic, semi-outdoor backyard oasis destined for the LA sun. Sporting a prefab, panelized structure, steel framing gives rise to the backyard tiny home and its many dynamic features.

3. Modpools

Dubbing them “the world’s cardboard boxes,” Rathnam felt inspired to build the pools as a means of giving the discarded shipping containers new purpose and new life to backyards. The shipping containers are purchased by Rathnam after goods are shipped to North America from China since they would otherwise just be discarded and not reused for shipping purposes. Depending on your backyard and its building parameters, Modpools can be customized to fit.

4. Iam Sauna

Iam Sauna is a lovely tent-style sauna provided with a wood-burning stove that allows people to enjoy the outdoors even in the cold weather to regain the lost energy after a long day. A Japanese-style sauna tent is extremely portable; you can carry it along whether you’re biking it up or driving for a picnic with your family. In addition to portable design, the sauna tent is effortless to set up. A single person can install the tent in under a minute. One will be required to stretch out the pull tabs on all four sides and instantly, a stable and usable tent is ready.

5. Cook Nook

Though non-electric toaster and oven combos have struck their brilliance with the outdoorsy, the gas-powered Cook Nook presents an added advantage with a stove. There is so much one can do with the non-electric toaster, stove, and oven combo. It can be used for making toasts, roasting chicken, baking cake and even preparing a meal when electricity isn’t a luxury. So, when stepping into the wilderness, a portable and lightweight gas-operated toaster, oven, the stove is the icing on the cake since it opens up possibilities for a great treat for a large family or friends gathering with the choice of pizzas, cookies, and other delicious.

6. The Bungalow Luggage

Packed in a travel trolley-style sturdy case with four wheels, you get a pair of chairs and a table with a foldable top. The collapsible frame, seat, and backrest form the chair, while the metal spokes aligned as hollow table legs become the base for a wooden plank tabletop. The chairs have a nice canvas seat and the table seems pretty robust; together the furniture outside your camp will become your closest confidant in comfort!

7. The BBQ&co Grill

EIKI DESIGN STUDIO, a Kyoto-based product design studio’s refreshing barbeque grill design is a budding image of this new lifestyle prompted by the COVID-19 restrictions. The lead designer of the project, Seiki Ishii closely analyzed the dynamics of city living without compromising on the cooking of mouthwatering rotisserie, churrasco steak, or grilling the fresh salmon sushi from the market. This cross-cultural cooking space results in an elegant and compact BBQ grill that brings home the style of Spanish and Brazilian BBQ grilling. One that is dominated by wood burnt in the chimney to create a constant fire for the most evenly cooked delicacies.

8. MYC

In researching fireproof materials to build her grill, Singer found mycelium, a fireproof, vegetative part of a fungus that’s safe and edible for humans. Mycelium hosts an array of properties that make it the ideal choice with which to build a disposable grill. Inexpensive and very easy to grow, mycelium is an accessible, sustainable alternative building material that’s water repellent, naturally insulating, and entirely biodegradable. After cultivating her own lot of mycelium, Singer constructed prototypes of MYC and envisioned the disposable grill lining the shelves of convenience stores and gas stations to bring the choice of sustainable disposable grills to the masses. Following the use of an MYC grill, instead of searching for the nearest garbage can, grillers can simply cut up and leave MYC at the campsite to biodegrade and fertilize the earth.

9. The Zome Building Kit

You don’t have to be an architect to want to build a bamboo structure of your own thank to the ‘Zome building kit’ by Giant Grass! The studio has made a DIY kit that is basically a larger-than-life LEGO project which can live in your backyard or be scaled up to create a community space. The ‘zome’ is a flexible space that can be used by children to hang out in the backyard, like a gazebo for you to entertain guests in, a greenhouse for seedlings, a creative space in the office, a quiet space for yoga at home, or a glamping tent – it can be anything you want it to be. This DIY kit is perfect for those who want to live sustainability and enjoy working on projects which result in a productive reward.

10. The Wooly Eco-Friendly Cooler

Wool has a pretty good reputation as an insulating material, but you don’t instantly think of wool being used to keep something cool. Sure, woolen sweaters, mitts, socks, caps, they’re all used to trap your body heat and keep you warm, but with insulation, the inverse is true too! Meet the Wooly Eco-Friendly Cooler, an outdoor cooler that uses eco-friendly wool (as opposed to chemical insulants) to keep your cool drinks cool… and as an added bonus, it comes with a lid that doubles up as a charcuterie board so you can pair your wine with a few cold cuts of meat and some eclectic cheeses, or your beers with some chips and dip and a couple of cocktail nuts too!

The post Bring your yard to life with these inspirational products designs first appeared on Yanko Design.

Bring your yard to life with these products designed to transform your backyard into the ultimate fun space!

In these pandemic-stricken times, we find ourselves spending more and more time at home. However, sitting in the same old four walls of our bedroom can become quite boring, and sometimes the only fresh air we really get is when we step out into our yards. Although we shouldn’t underestimate our backyards, they can be locations of major fun, recreation, and relaxation…depending on how we do them up! How about turning your backyard into an ideal date spot for you and your partner, or hosting a barbecue party with the best grill in the market? We’ve curated a collection of product designs to help you transform these exciting ideas into a reality! These products will turn your yard into the ultimate relaxation destination. We bet you won’t want to step out of your yard, once you introduce these products to it! From single-use shipping containers repurposed into swimming pools to a tiny backyard home/office – these designs will majorly transform your humble backyard!

Dubbing them “the world’s cardboard boxes,” Rathnam felt inspired to build the pools as a means of giving the discarded shipping containers new purpose and new life to backyards. The shipping containers are purchased by Rathnam after goods are shipped to North America from China since they would otherwise just be discarded and not reused for shipping purposes. Depending on your backyard and its building parameters, Modpools can be customized to fit.

You don’t have to be an architect to want to build a bamboo structure of your own thank to the ‘Zome building kit’ by Giant Grass! The studio has made a DIY kit that is basically a larger-than-life LEGO project which can live in your backyard or be scaled up to create a community space. The ‘zome’ is a flexible space that can be used by children to hang out in the backyard, like a gazebo for you to entertain guests in, a greenhouse for seedlings, a creative space in the office, a quiet space for yoga at home, or a glamping tent – it can be anything you want it to be. This DIY kit is perfect for those who want to live sustainability and enjoy working on projects which result in a productive reward.

Boasting an enameled steel construction, the Noori V02 AIRY is a multifunctional outdoor grill, pizza oven, rocket stove, and a fire pit – all in one! Not to mention, it’s probably one of the best-looking grills I’ve seen in a long time, it’ll be the perfect visual accessory to your backyard. The grill consists of six refractory concrete internal plates. These plates + an AIRY cylinder make up the grill’s innovative AIRY system (which also gives the product its name). This basically means that to set up an open fire, you simply need to remove a few refractory plates from within the AIRY cylinder, which instantly exposes the flames, creating the mesmerizing flame dance we all love to watch in an open fire!

Wool has a pretty good reputation as an insulating material, but you don’t instantly think of wool being used to keep something cool. Sure, woolen sweaters, mitts, socks, caps, they’re all used to trap your body heat and keep you warm, but with insulation, the inverse is true too! Meet the Wooly Eco-Friendly Cooler, an outdoor cooler that uses eco-friendly wool (as opposed to chemical insulants) to keep your cool drinks cool… and as an added bonus, it comes with a lid that doubles up as a charcuterie board so you can pair your wine with a few cold cuts of meat and some eclectic cheeses, or your beers with some chips and dip and a couple of cocktail nuts too!

The main appeal of a tiny home remains privacy and mobility, both of which are answered by the DROP office. While most tiny homes focus on setting up the place for a single owner, DROP provides two comfortable and fully equipped home offices. The dimensions of the cabin match that of a shipping container, the design is built and ‘dropped’ onto the site of your choice, reducing the environmental impact of construction! Need a break from work? The outdoor deck and fully openable windows allow you to immerse in your surroundings. With one fair-sized panoramic bedroom, three-piece bathroom, and fully-equipped kitchen – the cabin is yours for rest as well as work.

Adam Cornish’s Wooden Hammock challenges the notion that Hammocks need to be built from flexible materials like cloth or rope. It instead, comes with a series of wooden strips, suspended together by rope, with rubber members between the wooden pieces to spread them out and prevent them from rubbing against one another. Ultimately, designed to be a rest for your spine, the Wooden Hammock takes inspiration from it, using a series of wooden vertebrae to achieve flexibility! The hammock comes manufactured from plantation-grown Accoya plywood, letting it have the same strength as regular wood but with lesser ecological impact.

As things are beginning to ease down a bit and everyone is seeking a way to detox in the greenery all around, UENOA architects have designed GREEN BASE, a minimal structure ideal for socializing, work remotely, and other exciting activities. The design of see-through structure was headed by architects Yoshinori Hasegawa and Fumei Horikoshi who on request of the farmer wanted to design on the green land something that reciprocates with the pandemic lifestyle and lets people enjoy farmland activities. The likes of cooking the harvested vegetables from the farmland itself or having a warm evening gathering after a day’s hard work. The farmer had one strict requirement for the building structure, for it to be “technically reproducible and inexpensive to make’. Thus the architects used vinyl cladding material which also doubled as a way to keep the building transparent for people sitting inside to have a clear view of nature outside.

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QubeStove’s new rotating pizza oven dons a heavy gauge stainless steel coat that shines with all the possibilities of different pizza pies. The heavy gauge stainless steel looks clean and packs a punch, but it also establishes the oven’s long-lasting durability and ability to retain a lot of heat (that’s upwards of 1,000℉). A high-temperature, ceramic glass door both allows users to check on their food without opening the oven and covers the woodfire, inner mechanics. Once the oven’s hot enough and after you’ve decided on your pizza toppings, garlic marinara, cheddar cheese, seared pineapple (maybe), some fresh basil, you can slide it right onto the oven’s rotating pizza stone and watch the magic happen.

I want this Hanging Lounger by KODAMA in my own backyard ASAP. It’s a comfy nook to snuggle in with your favorite book or to simply take a power nap in the afternoon. You can also spend some quality time with your friends, family, and pets in the lounger.

Parsonson Architects created the Herald Garden Studio – a functional, flexible, freestanding 183-square-foot structure that sits in your backyard to accommodate all those growing pains! The studio includes office space, a bathroom, storage space at the rear, a play area , and a guest bed in the loft up the ladder. The loft is a cozy private corner and has a net panel in front for safety for children/pets. The studio has a number of windows on the upper level to let in natural light. Wooden beams set in a triangular arrangement make the structural framework and to keep the costs low the walls are clad with zero-formaldehyde oriented strand board (OSB).

These single-use shipping containers repurposed into swimming pools will bring your backyard to life!

Rathnam’s company, Modpools essentially converts single-use shipping containers into backyard pools that could be installed underground, aboveground, or anywhere between.

Over the course of this pandemic, we’ve seen everything from prefabricated backyard tiny offices to an outdoor mobile bar and kitchen designed for summer BBQs. With so much of our focus on the environment and the potential of our own backyards, designers are getting creative with sustainability and how they construct these at-home retreats. After transforming disused shipping containers into self-contained home offices, Paul Rathnam, seasoned pandemic backyard renovator, returns to shipping containers, only this time he’s turning them into pools.

Dubbing them “the world’s cardboard boxes,” Rathnam felt inspired to build the pools as a means of giving the discarded shipping containers new purpose and new life to backyards. The shipping containers are purchased by Rathnam after goods are shipped to North America from China since they would otherwise just be discarded and not reused for shipping purposes. Depending on your backyard and its building parameters, Modpools can be customized to fit.

No matter where you live, Modpools can be integrated into your home’s environment. Aware that prospective buyers might mistake the recycled shipping containers for emptied garbage dumpsters, Rathnam says, “The uphill battle with containers is that it looks like a dumpster.” Homeowners can rest assured, however, knowing their new backyard pool wasn’t a public dumpster yesterday. Maintaining a clean and dent-free look, Rathnam’s Modpools are formed from single-use containers that only ship goods such as cellphones, computers, and clothes.

Customizable for your own backyard and its parameters, Modpools can be configured in different geometric shapes to fit the size of your garden or patio, or whatever your configuration may need – indoor or outdoor. The shipping containers can be cut down from their 20-40’ lengths to fit any size or shape needed for your particular backyard configuration.

The temperature of Modpools can be raised to 104-degrees Fahrenheit for colder environments. The Modpools are adjusted and welded about an hour east of Vancouver in Rathnam’s factory so that all the construction happens off-site prior to the pool’s installation. The good news is on-site installation can be finished in a matter of only a day.

Designer: Modpools

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Glass windows can be installed to the side of Modpools for underwater viewing.

Modpools can be installed underground, aboveground, or anywhere in-between.

Modpools can also be cut down in length to fit indoors, shrinking down from a length of 40-feet to 20-feet.

Aboveground Modpools would be a great addition to the heat of the backyard during the summer months, lasting over 30 years.

Bring your yard to life with furniture designed to help you unwind + de-stress this summer!

Since COVID-19 shook up our world, we find ourselves spending more and more time at home. However, sitting in the same old four walls of our bedroom can become quite boring, and sometimes the only fresh air we really get is when we step out into our yards. Although we shouldn’t underestimate our backyards, they can be locations of major fun, recreation, and relaxation…depending on how we do them up! Adding a few pieces of cozy and interesting outdoor furniture pieces can really transform our yards. From a multifunctional design that serves as a barbecue, sofa, and champagne bar to a throne-like hammock – we’ve curated a bunch of exciting furniture designs that will completely liven up your yard! You don’t need to step out of your home to have a good time now. Enjoy!

The Rocco multifunctional outdoor furniture by Moróro is a barbecue, a sofa, a champagne bar, and more! 2020 has been about creating intimate moments at home, and nothing says intimate like a cozy evening in your backyard! To take things up a notch, we have Rocco which is an all-rounder piece of outdoor furniture. Its clever design transforms it from a fun barbecue into a sofa or champagne bar and even a smores pit – I think it’s safe to say Rocco is an essential this year! You can add a fire bowl to the base or choose from various other accessories like a grill, tabletop, ice bucket, and parasol base. Customize Rocco to fit what you define as a chill evening.

The inspiration for this model came from the fact that there was nothing in the market that was sleek or modern enough to go with the interiors of today’s houses and that is how the MDK9 Dog Haus came to be – no more hiding the kennel in your backyard! This dog house is your pet’s dream house, it’s crafted with Brazilian teak wood responsible for the classy look which rests on a powder-coated steel frame so it’s sturdy. To make it long-lasting, the base of the dog house is made from concrete which also adds to the existing strong structure.

The modular outdoor kitchen – that includes a bar – is made from weather-resistant corten steel, similar to the brand’s other products for home and garden. Laid out beautifully for cooking and serving cocktails al fresco, this outdoor kitchen setup is equipped with an electric, gas, or charcoal grill and wooden cutting board to cater to the cooking needs. A kitchen is not complete without its washing area –Convivium Mobile Bar is fitted with a stainless steel sink that features pull-out taps, so the outright appeal and distinctive appearances of the design are maintained.

The Minka Solar Pod operates primarily as an alternative to meeting places and WFH spots like WeWork and cafes with WiFi. Unlike their indoor counterpart, the Minka Solar Pod and its amenities are entirely powered by photovoltaic panels and lithium-ion batteries. Using solar energy for power allows Minka Solar Pods to be placed anywhere, from busy city plazas like Union Square or public grounds like Hyde Park. Designed to be an outdoor working space, Minka Solar Pods come complete with four USB ports for charging and acoustic panels to quiet outdoor noise while amplifying the conversations taking place inside the pod. It could be the perfect backyard office!

The Cacoon is the hammock upgrade that you can hang from anywhere and instantly make it your cozy little zen space! Designed to feel like a hammock, but to give you the leisure and shade of a tent, the Cacoon is perfect for turning any space into an instant recreation and chill zone. The Cacoon is available in different colors as well as sizes, so you can choose between going solo, or chilling with your crew! Wait… did I also mention that it’s absolutely portable?

The Cercle’s frame is designed to perform everything from sitting, cooking, working, resting, or even sleeping. So, this two-wheeled paradise is all you need to be classified as a crazy 21st-century nomad who’s leaving virtually no carbon footprint during their solo exploration. If you notice closely, the circular frame of the bicycle holds the foldable day bed stands in the middle. The frame can be oriented for multiple functionalities – for example, for sleeping in the nighttime or as a chair for a comfortable working position or lounger in a picturesque location. Consequently, when it is time to hit the road, the lounge stand folds up to become a part of the bicycle frame for hassle-free pedaling.

Patricia Urquiola designed The Swing Chair for Louis Vuitton! The chair has been inspired by LV’s handbags. Two leather-covered metallic handles hold and support a woven mesh and it instantly makes you think of a handbag. It’s a sophisticated piece of furniture that would look lovely in your backyard or balcony!

The Sunda 2.0 is an outdoor tent that can be used on land or in the skies. Perfect for any sort of weather, you can pitch the Sunda 2.0 up either on dry ground or suspend it between trees during the rain or snowfall. I’d personally prefer the latter just for the view! Designed to house up to 2 people, the Sunda 2.0 uses a simplified architecture that allows it to compress into a duffle bag when folded. Assembling it is a breeze too, thanks to its three spines that use tensile integrity to prop the tent up. The tent’s longitudinal design easily fits people over 6-ft tall into it, while its robust construction and reinforced floor make it practically impervious to damage from the elements. You can have a camping session in your backyard now!

The Israel-based Segment development company combines aluminum with different materials to create a series of unique profiles that enable facade designs that are ever-changing and fit perfectly to their client’s vision. One of the many advantages of the segment is the wide variety of profiles that can be used for varying applications. These aluminum profiles are very strong and durable and fit perfectly to withstand outdoor conditions in nearly any climate. As such, they are also great for wet areas and indoor applications. Ideal for use on outdoor kitchens and furniture, these pieces are constructed from modular bodies made of aluminum, 15mm in thickness, combined with other materials like wood, terrazzo, resista, and more. Together they provide a strong, durable product that offers complete design freedom.

campster1

Meet Campster – the most compact, lightweight. durable and portable chair! After selling over 100,000 pieces, intense market analysis, and tonnes of feedback, Copenhagen-based Sitpack refined the camping chair to make one that is truly the king of camping thrones! The idea behind this chair is simple – you can take it anywhere and you can sit anywhere. The company’s goal is to always create products with multiple usages and timeless design. Constructed from high-end materials, this three-legged chair will let you take a seat wherever you are while ensuring comfort, maneuverability, and stability. Campster’s one-piece telescoping design uses gravity to unfold and Sitpack’s trademark “one-pull” locking system to keep it sturdily in place!

Bring your backyard to life this summer with these products designed to help you unwind!

Summer is around the corner, and it’s almost time to beat the heat! Add COVID-19 to the mix, and our options for summer activities are really quite limited this time around. However, why don’t we turn inwards, instead of turning outwards as always?! A great option could be using our humble backyards as recreation spaces! How about turning your backyard into an ideal date spot for you and your partner, or hosting a barbecue party with the best grill in the market? We’ve curated a collection of product designs to help you transform these exciting ideas into a reality! These products will turn your yard into the ultimate summer destination. We bet you won’t want to step out of your yard, once you introduce these products to it!

You don’t have to be an architect to want to build a bamboo structure of your own thank to the ‘Zome building kit’ by Giant Grass! The studio has made a DIY kit that is basically a larger-than-life LEGO project which can live in your backyard or be scaled up to create a community space. The ‘zome’ is a flexible space that can be used by children to hang out in the backyard, like a gazebo for you to entertain guests in, a greenhouse for seedlings, a creative space in the office, a quiet space for yoga at home, or a glamping tent – it can be anything you want it to be. This DIY kit is perfect for those who want to live sustainability and enjoy working on projects which result in a productive reward.

Parsonson Architects created the Herald Garden Studio– a functional, flexible, freestanding 183-square-foot structure that sits in your backyard to accommodate all those growing pains! The studio includes office space, a bathroom, storage space at the rear, a play area, and a guest bed in the loft up the ladder. The loft is a cozy private corner and has a net panel in front for safety for children/pets. The studio has a number of windows on the upper level to let in natural light. Wooden beams set in a triangular arrangement make the structural framework and to keep the costs low the walls are clad with zero-formaldehyde oriented strand board (OSB).

Gravity Series 800 Griddle follows Masterbuilt’s Gravity Series 560 and Gravity Series 1050. Its design and construction are pretty similar to its predecessors though it has been meticulously engineered to make outdoor cooking simpler by giving the controls in your hands. Yes, the searing temperatures and slow-low cooking on the new grill + griddle can be controlled from the convenience of your smartphone, which syncs via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. In addition to controlling the cooking temperature, you can also monitor cook time from the app, while the integrated fan maintains the heat based on your desired setting.

The Sling Hanging Swing Chair by Studio Stirling is perfect to lounge upon on those lazy Sunday afternoons! The beautiful hanging chair is handmade and exhibits unique craftsmanship. Not only will it add comfort, but also a quotient of style to your otherwise mundane backyard!

In the mood for a romantic dinner for two? Look no further! Because you can now experience this in your own backyard with the Landscape Frame! Designed by Bergmeisterwolf Architects, this two-square-meter bench with an attached table is made of Swiss pine and is the perfect addition to your backyard to create an intimate and cozy spot!

The Cocoon Spherical Tree Bed is literally something out of a fairytale setting! The tent remains suspended above ground because let’s face it, how will a spherical tent remain upright on the floor? The tent comes with a huge 3-meter diameter and holds a double bed, living up to the glamping quotient of the evening. The design is made of an aluminum frame and comes with a waterproof layer to ensure the rain won’t come in and dampen your plans! It’s the perfect cozy little addition to your backyard!

The Wooden Outdoor Shower by WoodMaster honestly has me going gaga! This little outdoor shower is a personal relaxation space with privacy, of course. Pop in for a cool shower on those unusually hot and pesky summer days!

Cellars have been used across the ages to store food or even act like bunker houses in case of natural disasters. Groundfridge takes that design one step further by adding fresh food refrigeration to the game. The trick used by Groundfridge is by utilizing the natural insulating capacity of the ground and the cooler night air temperatures. The balance of this design allows you to store your vegetables, fruits, cheese, and even wine throughout the year. Ventilating this project uses a fan with a timer that replenishes the cool air during the night. Here’s a sustainable underground fridge for your backyard!

I want this Hanging Lounger by KODAMA in my own backyard ASAP. It’s a comfy nook to snuggle in with your favorite book or to simply take a power nap in the afternoon. You can also spend some quality time with your friends, family, and pets in the lounger.

The Faz Pot by Ramón Esteve is not only a good and functional planter but also a quirky and geometrically fascinating product that promises to jazz up your boring old backyard. Replace the conventional planters in your backyard with intriguing designs like these!

These 3D printed pods are sustainable personal offices that you can subscribe to just like Netflix!

Post the pandemic, all of us have realized the importance of having a dedicated space where we can focus on work without having to explain on our zoom calls what the noise in the background is. Meet the Denizen Architype pod – a smart, functional, personal office that supports your remote work life and also could double up as a creative escape! This prefabricated office is designed with everything you need for the perfect work day and you can set it up anywhere in the world if you have subscribed to it – it’s like Netflix but for a physical office space.

Denizen pods want to help reduce central office costs while adapting to the changes like remote work and flexible lifestyle. The 100 sqft pod is a modern solution with a small footprint that can help retain global talent, maximize productivity and reduce environmental impact that big corporate offices have. “It is ideally suited for high-volume production as a consumer product – more like an automobile or smartphone than a conventional building. Leveraging the latest in 3D printing, robotic fabrication, and technology integration, Denizen can mass-produce high-quality office units that are not only more desirable spaces to work than conventional offices, but also cheaper and faster to build,” says the team in their press release.

The modern tiny office is constructed from premium materials like sustainably harvested timber, 3D printed biopolymers, and durable metal cladding. The tech has been integrated in the pod to make your work from home life as easy as possible. The company hopes to partner with cities to help deploy pods in green spaces to build communities and upgrade neighborhoods so that those who don’t have a backyard big enough for the pod can still subscribe and take advantage of it. This will mean less space for cars, office parks, and parking lots; more space for people, culture, and nature in the city. Remote tech and architecture is a critical tool for eliminating the carbon impact of business flights and traditional office buildings.

“There is a major unmet need in the shift to flexible, remote, and hybrid work, and it’s going to take conventional real estate decades to catch up. Even prior to the pandemic, offices were expensive, distracting, and inconvenient. A better solution was needed. We’ve created a space so inspiring that it will change the way you want to work and live. And by offering it as a subscription service, we make it natural for employers to give their teams a professional, connected, and safe work environment,” says Nick Foley, CEO of Denizen.

The desk seamlessly blends within the large glass arch that has a switchable privacy glass made of two layers with liquid crystals in between – this is expensive so we wonder if it will be a feature available only for the higher end subscription models. It has audiophile-grade speakers and 40 Amp electrical service for the structure. Another question for the team would be the source of electricity since they are pushing for sustainability and reduction of carbon footprint. The Denizen pod is still at a conceptual stage but is an interesting way to decentralize offices as we know it!

Designer: Denizen

This tiny studio apartment sits in your backyard to give you a bonus functional and flexible space!

Not every family can move into a larger home when they are falling short on space as children grow up. While it would be an ideal solution, it involves uprooting everyone from friends, extended family, adjusting to a new school/job as well as the whole process of moving which is extremely draining. To offer a smarter, more convenient solution, Parsonson Architects created the Herald Garden Studio – a functional, flexible, freestanding 183-square-foot structure that sits in your backyard to accommodate for all those growing pains!

Sometimes the best solution is to find a way to make the most of what one already has. Herald Garden Studio was born from one such situation because the client was a couple from New Zealand and they live in a small two-bedroom Victorian cottage that was getting cramped with their two growing sons. They didn’t want to leave their neighborhood and this compact backyard studio was the perfect economical solution. It provides additional space for a peaceful retreat, to study, work from home, make-shift guest house, or even storage. It is separate from the house but visually connected and linked by a sheltered outdoor space.

The interior incorporates an office space toward the front of the studio, a bathroom, and storage space at the rear, and the play area and guest bed in the loft up the ladder.

The loft is a cozy space, made more secure with the installation of netting at the edge.

There are a number of windows on the upper level to let in natural light and bring in a view of the valley outside.

To keep costs low, a range of simple materials was chosen. Wooden beams, set in a triangular arrangement, form the supporting structural framework, while the walls are clad with zero-formaldehyde oriented strand board (OSB), and the roof and the rear and side walls covered with green, corrugated Colorsteel, a low-cost option that matches the surrounding garden.

In addition, there is a pergola covered with durable but inexpensive polycarbonate and a wooden deck that extends around most of the studio. A hole has been cut into the deck to accommodate an existing olive tree.

The architects explain:

“Both the deck, pergola, and the main interior space have been conceived as one triangulated structure, stitching together the spaces and reinforcing the interior-exterior connection, while relating to the delicacy of the surrounding vegetation. Materials are unadorned, raw and but carefully assembled.”

Besides the walls, the interior sliding doors and bathroom counter are made from OSB as well, all finished with natural WOCA oil. Some people may understandably balk at the idea of having wall-to-wall coverage of raw OSB, but it’s an economical choice that is both easy to maintain, and also helps to emphasize the openness and minimalism of the space.

Nevertheless, there are pops of color here and there in the sea of honey-colored OSB, most notably in the bathroom at the rear of the studio, which features a shower stall clad with a red Invibe panel board. There’s also a custom-designed lighting sconce, again made with the red Invibe panel board.

Created with simple and cost-effective materials, this award-winning garden studio is a great example of urban infill on a small scale, a well-built solution that allows one family to continue living on a compact property closer to the city, without having to move further afield.

Designer: Parsonson Architects

Bring your yard to life with these inspirational product designs: part 4

In Game of Thrones terms, this summer feels like one after a long winter, or in our case, the long quarantine that COVID-19 brought to our doorstep. Summertime is here and it promises to bring our barbeque vibe on! How about turning your backyard into an outdoor movie theatre for your family and friends, or hosting a barbecue party with the best grill in the market? We’ve curated a collection of product designs to help you transform these exciting ideas into a reality! These products will turn your yard into the ultimate fun space. We bet you won’t want to step out of your yard, once you introduce these products to it!

The Rocco multifunctional outdoor furniture by Moróro is a barbecue, a sofa, a champagne bar, and more! 2020 has been about creating intimate moments at home, and nothing says intimate like a cozy evening in your backyard! To take things up a notch, we have Rocco which is an all-rounder piece of outdoor furniture. Its clever design transforms it from a fun barbecue into a sofa or champagne bar and even a smores pit – I think it’s safe to say Rocco is an essential this year! You can add a fire bowl to the base or choose from various other accessories like a grill, tabletop, ice bucket, and parasol base. Customize Rocco to fit what you define as a chill evening.

The Bailey Discovery D4-2 Camper Trailer is one such creation, tailored for adventure enthusiasts who can’t help but satiate their wanderlust – exploring the untrodden trails. The USP of this camper trailer is its inflatable awning which creates almost double the private space you need for your escapades under the star-studded nights. On the inside, D4-2 is equipped with all the amenities and a fully furnished interior. Enough to suffice the needs of a couple on their long road trip – with the odd guest coming along the way for a couple of days. The big windows on all sides and the skylight fills the interiors with enough sunlight for a calming feel. The lounge area includes two couches and a fold-down table. In the kitchen, you’ll get an oven/grill combo appliance, a drop-down worktop extension, and a sink. On the opposite side, there is a mini-fridge with space underneath to store food and beverages. 

Cineorama by Erika Hock is an outdoor viewing space, so you can sit and watch a couple of your favorite movies with your family and friends, within the comforts of your own backyard! It’s the perfect movie-watching solution during this pandemic when you wish to avoid the crowded movie theatres but also yearn for the conventional theatre experience. You can simply convert your backyard into one!

Developed in the design language of DHL, PDF Haus aimed to give Shelf a simple box silhouette with a freewheeling attitude, taking inspiration from the color scheme, materials and finishes often chosen by DHL for their vehicles and brand aesthetic. The grill even comes with DHL decals and tags that can be adhered to the metallic grill’s front case that turns into its table extension.

The BURCH BARREL gives you unprecedented control over your barbecue process. You can operate the barbecue lid without having to touch it, or rest the grill on any uneven surface without worrying about it falling over, you can even lift the grill plate off the coal-pan to add more fuel. Moreover, when you’re not grilling food, the BURCH BARREL doubles up as a portable fireplace for those perfect sunset social gatherings. The barrel’s design is immediately striking, with a large tripod system that has the barrel suspended from the very center. This unique format keeps the barrel balanced and vertical at all times, allowing you to mount it on rocky terrain or even on slanted surfaces without any fear of the barrel tipping over. Inspired by a camera’s tripod, the BURCH BARREL comes with telescopic legs that let you orient the unit to be stable, no matter how unstable your ground is, giving it a competitive advantage over regular barbecue grills that traditionally require a flat surface like pavement, to begin with.

If your dog, by chance, eats the snail or lick its trail, he can get infected with Lungworm! And with the fact that the snail population has increased by 50% since 2012, it’s a real tangible threat. Taking this issue into consideration, designer Karl Martin designed Bark, an outdoor feeder with a foolproof update! The feeder looks like a standing yellow box, to be honest, however, equipped with a Makrolon 2407 PC injection-molded body, it’s pretty sturdy. The outer yellow body protects a stainless steel bowl within, which holds your pet’s food. An injection-molded ABS flap functions as a protective layer between your dog’s meal and those pesky snails, slugs and not to mention other insects and creatures (I mean let’s not count out all the other species too).

Roxon’s MBT3 Multi BBQ Tool promises to meet all your outdoor barbecuing needs! Crafted from food-grade 430 stainless steel, the 6-in-1 multi-tool combines a variety of functionalities, so you don’t have to carry a case full of tools with you. The compact tool functions as a fork, knife, spatula, tongs, bottle opener, and a wine corkscrew! The design basically comprises of three base elements, the fork, spatula, and knife, which are combined together via a 1.2mm liner lock. The various parts can be attached, detached and arranged according to the tool you need at the moment. For example, the fork and the spatula can be joined to create a pair of tongs! Whereas the knife comes with a foldable handle, once the handle is folded in, it functions as a bottle opener and a wine corkscrew as well!

Meet the Fufu. What it lacks in name catchiness, it makes up for with function. Designed to work as a tabletop air conditioner as well as a mini-fridge, Fufu is your ultimate weapon against a hot and sweaty summer day. With the proportions of a backpack, Fufu sits anywhere in your room, cooling your space as well as preserving your food and drinks. It uses two semiconductor cooling systems that run simultaneously, balancing energy efficiency and cooling efficiency together.

Ditching bulkiness for compactness and swapping chemicals for electric current, Sang Kun Park designed FOLD, a foldable electric mosquito net inspired by the traditional Korean fan. A lot of us are going camping or spending more time outdoors these days, and when the bugs come out hunting, we need to be prepared. Sang Kun Park designed FOLD with Designer Dot so that when nature calls out our names, no amount of mosquitoes can get in the way of enjoying it. FOLD’s compact size is its primary appeal, fitting into even the most tightly packed knapsacks. Resembling the traditional Korean fan’s shape and folding apparatus, FOLD is a handheld, portable alternative to the heavy mosquito lamp that measures only two times the size of an average-sized smartphone when folded.

A tool used for firing clay in a kiln transforms into a minimalist bird feeder! This ceramic bird feeder doesn’t present a new solution for bird feeders but does present an approach for sustainable product manufacturing that solves a problem faced by many designers: the scrap material used during construction, like rings in clay kilns, that is discarded once the product is finished. Ceramika Design and Studio Kononenko wanted to make use of ceramic rings used when firing clay in kilns. The main element of the bird feeder is formed from ceramic – the frame and body of the bird feeder. Covering just about a quarter of the round frame is a plastic plate that functions to store plenty of food for the wild birds. Extending from the middle of the plastic plate is a wooden peg that works as a perch for birds to enjoy their seeds. It’s a beautiful sustainable design for your backyard!

Bring your yard to life with these inspirational product designs: Part 3

The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted most of our means of leisure, entertainment, and relaxation! Visiting our favorite restaurant, or jetting off on a little getaway are not always practical choices anymore, we need to think through our plans, take the utmost precautions, and be conscious and careful at all times. So, instead of turning outwards, why don’t we turn inwards? A great option could be using our humble backyards as recreation spaces! How about turning your backyard into an outdoor movie theatre for your family and friends, or hosting a barbecue party with the best grill in the market? We’ve curated a collection of product designs to help you transform these exciting ideas into a reality! These products will turn your yard into the ultimate fun space. We bet you won’t want to step out of your yard, once you introduce these products to it!

The Rocco multifunctional outdoor furniture by Moróro is a barbecue, a sofa, a champagne bar, and more! 2020 has been about creating intimate moments at home, and nothing says intimate like a cozy evening in your backyard! To take things up a notch, we have Rocco which is an all-rounder piece of outdoor furniture. Its clever design transforms it from a fun barbecue into a sofa or champagne bar and even a smores pit – I think it’s safe to say Rocco is an essential this year! You can add a fire bowl to the base or choose from various other accessories like a grill, tabletop, ice bucket, and parasol base. Customize Rocco to fit what you define as a chill evening.

Cineorama by Erika Hock is an outdoor viewing space, so you can sit and watch a couple of your favorite movies with your family and friends, within the comforts of your own backyard! It’s the perfect movie-watching solution during this pandemic when you wish to avoid the crowded movie theatres but also yearn for the conventional theatre experience. You can simply convert your backyard into one!

A tool used for firing clay in a kiln transforms into a minimalist bird feeder! This ceramic bird feeder doesn’t present a new solution for bird feeders but does present an approach for sustainable product manufacturing that solves a problem faced by many designers: the scrap material used during construction, like rings in clay kilns, that is discarded once the product is finished. Ceramika Design and Studio Kononenko wanted to make use of ceramic rings used when firing clay in kilns. The main element of the bird feeder is formed from ceramic – the frame and body of the bird feeder. Covering just about a quarter of the round frame is a plastic plate that functions to store plenty of food for the wild birds. Extending from the middle of the plastic plate is a wooden peg that works as a perch for birds to enjoy their seeds. It’s a beautiful sustainable design for your backyard!

The company behind this work shed has been acing the game when it comes to well-designed office furniture like flexible desks and ergonomic chairs. The Zen Work Pod was a culmination of their furniture design mission clubbed with the need of the hour. The minimalist backyard structure is a stark contrast to the existing toolsheds, it is a modern workspace equipped with all essentials needed for a ‘zen’ workday. “It provides a fresh solution that completely redefines the home office, providing maximum focus during every working hour,” says the team who especially kept creators and freelancers in mind while designing it. The pod features floor-to-ceiling windows and an angular roof all wrapped in a sturdy oak, walnut, and aluminum structure. It is compact but the minimal build and sweeping windows make it feel spacious.

The BURCH BARREL gives you unprecedented control over your barbecue process. You can operate the barbecue lid without having to touch it, or rest the grill on any uneven surface without worrying about it falling over, you can even lift the grill plate off the coal-pan to add more fuel. Moreover, when you’re not grilling food, the BURCH BARREL doubles up as a portable fireplace for those perfect sunset social gatherings. The barrel’s design is immediately striking, with a large tripod system that has the barrel suspended from the very center. This unique format keeps the barrel balanced and vertical at all times, allowing you to mount it on rocky terrain or even on slanted surfaces without any fear of the barrel tipping over. Inspired by a camera’s tripod, the BURCH BARREL comes with telescopic legs that let you orient the unit to be stable, no matter how unstable your ground is, giving it a competitive advantage over regular barbecue grills that traditionally require a flat surface like a pavement, to begin with.

The Bigfoot Table comes handcrafted out of Western Red Cedar wood with a built-in lightweight stainless steel endoskeleton to provide it with its strength. Right in the center of the table lies an opening that reveals a rectangular fireplace built right into the tabletop. The fireplace is supplied with fuel using a propane canister that can be placed in the hollow-space below and comes with a metal outer-casing to protect the wood from getting burnt. Scattered within the fireplace pit are faux-stones that help create a truly remarkable burning surface that’s perfect for roasting smores on, and the fire can be ignited electrically with a simple push of a button and even regulated with the turn of a knob. The fireplace cover is even designed to be reversed, with a game of Mancala integrated into its flip-side – with the ability to use the firestones as game pieces!

The lounger, recliner, and couch have come of age – it’s the era to usher in better ways to sit… and feel like royalty. Thanks to the ‘Hammock Throne’, you can literally feel like that. One of the biggest problems with hammocks is that you need two trees (or poles) to hold them up, and typically they are placed outdoors. Even the home-swing doesn’t match up to the comfort of lazing in the comfortable embrace of a hammock. Folks at Yellow Leaf are solving for this, by giving us the Hammock Throne. Kind of an indoor/outdoor hammock chair; this full-body contraption features a 360° swivel thanks to the anchor base. Simply sit back, relax and swivel all around on a whim. I’d put this free-standing hammock in my living room, where will you?

This device does for your smart home what your Alexa can’t. Tempest turns every part of your home into a smart home, from your front-gate to your backyard. Designed as an all-in-one weather-monitoring system that sits on your lawn, Tempest uses a variety of sensors and AI to predict the weather for your house. It enables you to plan your day better, know what to watch out for when you’re stepping out or even when you’re indoors, and most importantly, it helps calibrate your home’s energy consumption based on the forecast it generates. It’ll tell you when there’s a storm brewing minutes before the storm hits or if you should put on sunscreen when the sunlight’s harsh, it can close your garage door when it gets too windy, and it’ll automatically switch your sprinklers off if there’s a rain shower in the forecast. The Tempest runs entirely on solar power and communicates with your home using long-range Wi-Fi. It even sends back data to WeatherFlow, which collectively uses all the pooled information to accurately predict weather patterns across the world.

A portable smart fireplace is what we need for this unprecedented holiday season! My Warmth by Simon Pavy is a conceptual fireplace that was created to make having a fireplace accessible despite how your interior is laid out. The smart portable appliance also gives you the same cozy vibes while reducing work that comes with a traditional fireplace. My Warmth is the size of a humidifier or an air purifier so it doesn’t take a lot of space in your living room. There is a dial to control the temperature so you can pick the right degree for toasty toes or crank it up for smores! The all brushed aluminum gives it a sleek aesthetic that reminds me of glass domes that cover baked goods – as one should have by the fireplace. My Warmth lets you enjoy the quintessential holiday vibes with your own portable fireplace. I can already hear Nat King Cole start on those chestnuts!

Eve Aqua is a smart water controller that will continue to regularly and quantitatively irrigate your plants, lawn, flowerbed, or backyard. It is compatible with your smart devices as well as Siri so you can set up the home kit and control the system with your phone, tablet, etc. It has 7 watering periods in a day and you can set it up as per your needs and even create an autonomous schedule. These irrigation plans are stored in Eve Aqua so even if your device is disconnected, it will still do the job. It also has a two-channel water distributor so you can use it for irrigation without tying up your faucet. The auto shut-off feature makes sure you never have to watch the clock or come home to a flooded garden. It conserves a lot more water through its smart management system when compared to us doing it manually.

For more such exciting outdoor designs, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this post!