Workshops, etc
Not every Backyard Pod is destined to become a backyard studio, granny flat, guest cabin, or home office. Many people need utility-type rooms such as storage rooms, photography studios, tool workshops, etc. Here we have some of these examples ranging from small and exempt (no approval) through to larger buildings approved for non-habitable use in a larger-than-usual size, or closer to the boundary than normally permissible.
Not everyone needs a granny flat in the backyard, or even a studio with an ensuite. For many people, all they need is an extra room for use as a home office, music studio or design space, man cave, or breakout room. This air-conditioned 3.6m x 6m art studio with a sink in Doreen, a suburb of Melbourne, is a great example.
What can you build in Sydney without approval? A non-habitable structure up to 20sqm. This cute little art studio in leafy Hunters Hill, Sydney, was undertaken as an exempt development for workshop purposes. We supplied the flatpack building kit and double-glazed windows and doors. Our customers organised their own builder and now, their backyard studio is complete. You can see how they love the place!
Many people start with one of our basic 3m x 6m flatpack building kits to create a low-cost Backyard Pod for their own purposes. This cute little 3m x 6m backyard studio complete in Colorbond Classic Cream with a custom timber-framed veranda and deck is someone's idea of a private cave, craft room, or informal workspace in their backyard.
Backyard Pods Melbourne: while some people would call this backyard studio a "she-shed" or "sheila shack," our client announced that hers would be a "lady lair" and her hubby would build it as a DIY project! Their original 3m x 6m idea was changed to 2.4m x 4m - one of the most popular sizes for home offices - with optional eaves as well.
Rural properties often evolve over time – perhaps starting with a small cabin and growing with enclosed verandas and outbuildings (sometimes over generations) until the homestead ideal is fully expressed. Our customer on acreage in the Southern Tablelands added a cozy double-glazed home office as a DIY building project – well done!
Much is said about man-caves but a rising number of 'she-sheds' and 'sheila-shacks' are being built DIY or professionally in backyards all over Australia. This quaint, cottage-like example at Maryong, in western Sydney NSW, represents one woman's BIG dream - just a LITTLE space!
Inner-city properties have tight backyards, often with difficult access. This is where flat-pack Backyard Pod kits are the ideal solution. When an inner-city house (like this one at Erskineville, inner Sydney) was too small for fun, the owner got a compact Backyard Pod for their hobbies.
3m x 6m is the most popular size for simple backyard studios like this Backyard Pod near Doyalson on the NSW Central Coast. Fresh interiors and thoughtful positioning on the site show the owner's attention to detail with their project, installed by one of the professional installers in our network who services the area between Sydney and Newcastle.
Mentioning Colorbond cladding in classic Cottage Green reminds most people of traditional Federation colour schemes. What's so exciting about this practical 4.5m x 7m craft workshop near Newcastle is Cottage Green used in a modern way with contrasting cream-beige aluminium window frames and the inclusion of louvre-style windows for extra ventilation.
Not all Backyard Pods are intended as nice-looking granny flats, home offices, or studios. Many are for purposes where functionality is more important than appearance. This 4.5m x 10m flatpack project under construction in Queanbeyan NSW, near Canberra, is an industrial-looking storage facility and darkroom on residential land.
