UK Enterprise 2020

191 | UK Enterprise Awards 2020 Jul20035 Working from home has gone from a novelty to a necessity for many businesses in the light of the global pandemic, but the team behind Archipod Ltd saw the shifting trend in this direction many years ago. The development of high-quality spaces for people to study and work beyond the walls of their house has been their priority ever since. We take a closer look in the light of the team’s impressive success. Established in 2007, Archipod quickly became a name synonymous with quality in the home office sector. Many have explored different ways of providing home office space, but few can do so with the style, panache and ease of the Archipod team. From the outset, an Archipod building has been designed to be ergonomic, quiet and efficient, blending effortlessly into the garden landscape in a manner akin to a sculpture. Instead of following the traditional lines of a shed or hut, an Archipod takes a more natural form. Its rounded construction is designed to add to the garden instead of imposing itself. Clad in beautiful Western Red Cedar shingles, an Archipod brings a much- desired level of sophistication to any setting. The walls are constructed from a series of curved plywood panels, with encapsulated rockwool insulation and a plasterboard finish internally, that covers a secondary high-performance foil insulation. A suspended timber floor with 75mm closed cell insulation is fitted as standard, allowing the client to fit whatever fitting they desire. For some, the provision of the pod will be more than enough and they will decorate it as they want, but for others, the team work incredibly flexibly to ensure that their Archipod is fitted precisely the way they wanted with an ergonomic desk, electronics and final fitting done by the talented team. When the firm began trading in 2007, the team were well ahead of the game with regards to ecological thinking. They reasoned not only that working from home would become more and more important as time went on, but that the need to construct their buildings in a sustainable manner would be a vital aspect of the business’ success. The environmental factor has been proven in the last decade, with the costs of commuting and maintaining an office rising while the ability to communicate online has become more accessible to all. Now, as the last few months of the global pandemic have forced a great deal of changes to the way in which everyone works, the value of home working can be seen in earnest. Forced by circumstance, it has become seen as a viable way forward for many. Many do not wish to return to a life with a daily commute to the office, and the installation of a delightful building such as the Archipod would only encourage that position. The team have always been working on new ways in which they can leverage the potential of the Archipod construction process. There are now four different standard types, providing clients with a variety of different sizes to suit their specific circumstances. Connections can be made to better suit the needs of a client, creating a bright airy room that feels incredibly spacious. To this end, the team are currently working on a large project that will provide 20 accommodation pods. Based near North London, it is the natural endpoint of the work which the team have undertaken over the last few years. Once completed, the aim is to begin an even more ambitious prototype work on a hotel room suite of linked pods. Instead of limiting themselves to office space, the possibilities that working alongside a firm like Archipod present are almost limitless. For the team behind Archipod, the present has finally caught up with their vision for the future. Their sustainable, environmentally-friendly, future-proof solution to home working allows people to have a space that is truly theirs. The Archipod is somewhere they can work or study with all the benefits of a separate office and all the joys of home working. For those who have only just started to explore the possibilities over the last few months, the Archipod is the best possible choice. Company: Archipod Ltd Name: Chris Sneesby Web Address: www.archipod.co.uk Most Sustainable Building Solution 2020