As part of our continued series on Sheds and Shedworking, Alex Johnson from Shedworking provided this post on different designs.

The idea of the primitive hut has been a central starting point for many architects since the days of Vitruvius who famously wrote that a building should have ‘firmitas’, ‘utilitas’, and ‘venustas’, in other words it should stand up, it should do something, and it should look good. These are also the basic requirements for the 21st century hut, the garden office.

One of the leading names in the field in the US is Edgar Blazona who has sold more than 1,000 of his MD 100, part of his extensive Modular Dwellings range: the smallest 6’ by 8’ model also includes a pullout bed. Cabana Village’s sheds are made out of the popular Western Red Cedar and shipped largely pre-fabricated for you to assemble. Cabana’s web site also has a natty little ‘drag and drop’ design tool so that you can customise your shed design online – maybe add a cupola or take away a flowerbox - and price it up as you go.

Other possibilities include the family-run Modern Cabana, Metroshed and Modern Shed, the brainchild of designers Ahna Holder and Ryan Smith who run Seattle-based Grey Design Studio.

Nor must your garden office be made of wood. Tom Sandonato and Martin Wehmann’s Californian Kithaus range uses lightweight aluminium prefab modules and structural insulated panels: their K3 model needs no foundation and because it is aluminium does not need painting and will not rot. And the bamboo-framed Nomad Yurt from Ecoshack in California is also particularly suitable for smaller back yard spaces.

For a copy of The Shed magazine, please email Alex at alex@splashmedia.co.uk or go to Shedworking for daily updates.