You will have to work really hard to stay warm when the temperature drops and the rain turns into snow... But maybe that's the idea? - To improve efficiency?
I don't think it's that crazy for home offices. It could serve as a way to communicate to others that you are working, and it could help you mentally separate work and recreation.
They could also make it a tanning salon/office combo. Not only will you get your work done, but you'll get a great tan as well ;)
For that kind of money you could easily outfit an existing room with a top-quality computer, comfortable desk and chair, office supplies, whatever you need to work.
I don't think the biggest issue is money. It's more about space. Not everyone has an extra room that they can dedicate to having an office. And they may not even be able to add one for $25k.
No, but if you can find the space to put a pod like this outside, then you can find room for a small garden shed that costs < $1000 and outfit it with really nice furniture for a hell of a lot less than $25k.
Where I live, you can build a 30'x60'x15' pole shed for about $15k. That's bigger than some people's apartments!
Actually I've thought about something similar many times (except I'd just build it myself). Or, maybe having a small RV to work in... getting away from wife and kid during work is the main issue for me ;)
Just shy of $25K USD for a small room with a door as a single person's computer-based workspace? This is mind-numbingly stupid. You could hardly meet with a second person in there, let alone do anything on a whiteboard or requiring much more physical space than the small desk inside.
Why do tiny, minimalist things always cost so much?
The expensive part is the land, not the construction cost. The reason this is attractive is that because it's not a building, it doesn't cost any land.
It may not cost anything for land, but the same thing goes for a regular tent, table, and chair. I think the greatest value proposition this product offers is the modern indoor office setting, which alone should attract quite a few buyers. Other than that, it really doesn't offer me anything much more than what a regular tent, table, and chair can do. I must admit, it is nice eye candy though.
Nice idea in concept but with all that glass going on I don't see how it can heat very well in the UK winter.
It doesn't include the cost of running power / network / phone line to it either - which if you want it done properly and done underground is not terribly cheap.
Lastly it just looks like a magnet for burglars to be breaking in and stealing stuff
Nice looking, but you'd roast in one of these in California. They should add a fabric shade on top of it that extends at least 3 feet past the footprint on each side.
Assuming that's double paned class and that the rest is well insulated it'd be fine. Not everything in the world is constructed as shoddily as most houses in North America. We've got double paned windows and when it's -10°C out I can put my hand on them and they're only cool to the touch, not cold.
You need to actually check R-values. Even triple-pane windows with low-pressure dry Nitrogen between them has less insulation value than a sheetrocked stud wall with no added insulation.
Agreed. If I was designing something like that, it would have a motorized roof. And a comfier chair. And a bigger desk. And be more like an open space which closed up for security at night than a closed space all the time. Or even, more like sitting outside with a laptop on a patio table and instead of walls closing around for security, you go back inside...
PS. Gardners want to work in tiny glass boxes because plants grow better in the warm humid greenhousy atmosphere. Maybe ideas do too?
Something like this (not this) would be wonderful on top of a building in NYC. If you lived in a brownstone (owned a brownstone) and could put one of these on top, that'd be awesome.
I think this would be so much better and useful if it was a solar powered shower that sat in your garden. It could catch rain water when available and use tap water (from the hose) otherwise. It's pretty simple to stick a water tank in a solar oven to heat the water too. And you don't need a water pump if the water tank is on the roof, you get plenty of water pressure from gravity.
The water could also then drain into the garden if you used the right soaps in the shower.
A nice design like this could really bring grey water to people who don't want to build their own outdoor showers.
BTW, I know this idea is kind of out of left field but its the first thing I thought when I saw the box. It really looks like it would be a pleasure to take a shower in it while being in the garden.
If I had to spend that much money on a portable cubicle, I would use a shipping container as my platform instead. They are cheep, strong, secure and there is a worldwide infrastructure in place to ship them as cheaply as possible. I could have the whole thing shipped anywhere in the world with ease.
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 101 ms ] threadOfficePOD are pleased to announce an introductory price - for the United Kingdom - of just £14,950 plus installation and VAT.
edit: Actually, looking at the gallery, it does seem very useful indeed. Not sure it's worth over the cost of a medium sized car, but still.
They could also make it a tanning salon/office combo. Not only will you get your work done, but you'll get a great tan as well ;)
Where I live, you can build a 30'x60'x15' pole shed for about $15k. That's bigger than some people's apartments!
Why do tiny, minimalist things always cost so much?
Where to start :/
Different locales, so it may not be fair to compare prices, but the 6'x8' option above is about one third the price for comparable square footage.
It doesn't include the cost of running power / network / phone line to it either - which if you want it done properly and done underground is not terribly cheap.
Lastly it just looks like a magnet for burglars to be breaking in and stealing stuff
It didn't get a very good reception then, either.
EDIT: Sorry, looking at the wrong article. Last time it got one comment, and that was negative.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/apollosputnik/2447744070/
PS. Gardners want to work in tiny glass boxes because plants grow better in the warm humid greenhousy atmosphere. Maybe ideas do too?
The water could also then drain into the garden if you used the right soaps in the shower.
A nice design like this could really bring grey water to people who don't want to build their own outdoor showers.