The Vivid Green guide

to creating the perfect garden building

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Contents

Index Page

Introduction 3
What is important? 3
Insulation 3
Glazing 4
Heating 5
Lighting 5
Size and shape 5
External finishes and materials 7
Foundations 7
Internal finishes 7
Planning 8
Other hints and tips 9
Gallery 10
Price guide 12
Further information 12
Other structures 12

Appendix A. Standards for sustainable buildings

Introduction

A garden building, particularly one you are going to use year round, is a major investment.
There are a bewildering array of designs, styles and materials to choose from and, unless
you have some experience of building, the choice may appear overwhelming. This guide is
intended to help you make the right choice for your situation. As well as our own views
based on several years experience of designing and installing low energy buildings, we
include links to independent sites and suppliers. We hope it is comprehensive but please
email us with your suggestions for other relevant topics and any other feedback to make
this a better guide for everyone.

What is important?

If you are considering buying a garden building, whether office, studio, workshop, gym or
home cinema/play room, what should you look for? There are four main aspects to
consider:

insulation
glazing
heating (& lighting )
size and shape
finishes and materials
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Insulation

Insulation is fundamental; you will be sitting in an isolated structure with no rooms around
you so it is essential there is sufficient insulation to keep you warm in Winter and cool in
Summer. Sufficient insulation is a subjective term so, given the isolated nature of the
building, there should be at least as much insulation as is required for a new house, if not
more. Gardens can also be surprisingly noisy: children, building work and traffic in
particular so if the insulation can reduce this too, that is a bonus. The table below shows
the standards required for new housing in the UK alongside the level of insulation in a
typical garden building and what can be achieved with a higher specification.

Bdg regs Typical Garden

Vivid Green 150 Vivid Green 100
standards¹ Office/Room
U value² Wm- U value² Wm- U value² Wm-
Thickness Thickness U value² Wm-²/KThickness
²/K ²/K ²/K
Roof insulation 153mm 0.14 128mm 0.17 0.16 - 0.25 45mm 0.57
Wall insulation 128mm 0.17 78mm 0.28 0.30 - 0.35 45mm 0.57
Floor insulation 100mm 0.22 100mm 0.22 0.22 - 0.25 0 1.20
Windows/doors - 1.15 pane - 1.15 pane 1.8 - 2.0 - -
- 1.80 frame - 1.80 frame - - 1.90 frame
¹ Building Regulations Part L 2002
² U value calculation: BRE U value calculation version 1.08. Calculation method: BS EN ISO 6946

What this means in practice depends on many factors such as construction method and
materials, insulation type, quality of glazing, location, desired internal temperature etc etc.
However, as a guide, the difference in heating bills between a 10 sq metre typical garden
building and the Vivid Green 100 specification will be about £120 a year at current prices.

As well as potentially saving money, a higher level of insulation creates a more comfortable
environment:

smaller differences in temperature during the day

more even temperature throughout the year (cooler in Summer, warmer in Winter)

There are many different types of insulation on the market with many claims about the
sustainability of the different types. For an unbiased guide go to: www.greenspec.co.uk

Glazing

You will probably want a good deal of glass to create a light interior but be careful there is
not so much that you roast in Summer. It is surprising how little glass you need to give
sufficient light and generate a little warmth (solar gain) when the sun is shining. If some
of the windows face South, it is helpful to have a good overhang on the roof or a brise-
soleil to shade the windows in the height of Summer.

While on the subject of glass, good quality windows and glazed doors pay dividends. Glass
is a very poor insulator and even double glazed units let through about 6-7x as much heat
as a well insulated wall. So, choose windows with a U value (the heat transfer co-efficient
of materials) better than the 1.8Wm2k required by the UK Building Regulations to reduce
heat loss. Where possible, check the ‘whole frame’ U value rather than just the ‘centre
pane’ value since a poorly made frame can let out a lot of heat. Special coatings and Argon
filled gaps between panes are available as well as triple glazing and special arrangements
to reduce sound transmission.
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www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements/Home-insulation-glazing/Glaz-
ing
www.greenspec.co.uk/html/product-pages/vikingdouble.php
www.viking.ee/en/products/

Apart from their contribution to heat loss, the quality of win-

dows and doors will have a big impact on your enjoyment of the
space. Especially if you are leaving valuable equipment in the
building, have a look at the locks on doors and windows. Are
doors triple point locking? Can the windows be locked at all and
ideally, can they be locked in a slightly open position?

Hardwood windows are expensive but there are many other

cheaper options which also provide long life. Check on the
quality of the timber treatment which should ideally be applied
in the factory rather than on site. Are the beads which hold in
the glass nailed or pinned? If nailed, the nails are very likely to
rust, stain the timber and let in water. The best windows have
no nails and a metal bottom bead which is the one which always
rots first.

Factory treated and painted softwood windows are an

economical option which should not need re-painting in less
than 10 years but Aluminium clad timber is never likely to
require painting.
A couple of opening windows on opposite sides of the building
will create a good through draft but the other windows can be
fixed pane. Make sure several windows have trickle vents to
ensure adequate ventilation and that any glass below 800mm
from the floor is safety glass.

Heating

Heating options are many and varied but one of the

simplest and most comfortable is underfloor electric
heating which gives a very even temperature and will
allow you to set the thermostat several degrees below the
norm. Other benefits include:

no wall space lost to radiators/heaters

no hot surfaces
even temperature throughout
compatible with
almost any flooring.

If close to the house it may be possible to install a wet heating system ie: underfloor hot
water heating which, depending on the efficiency of the boiler may be a very economical
solution.
http://www.ebeco.com/en/index.php
Lighting

Lighting a well designed building providing plenty of natural light is not a major concern

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and, except for winter, artificial light should not be needed during daylight hours. If you
want stylish, low energy lighting then there is now a good choice including lights from
these two companies: http://www.tp24.com/ http://www.greenled.co.uk/
Size and shape

This is largely down to personal taste but there are some technical considerations. Flat
roofs have a bad reputation but, properly designed with a high quality roof covering this
type of roof should last just as long as a pitched roof. Rubber membranes should give a
15-20 year life if properly installed. As well as being more economical than a pitched roof,
there are situations where it looks appropriate and it is one of the solutions to the
challenge presented by recent changes to the planning rules (see below).

A flat roofed art and music studio An apex roof clad with cedar shingles A pyramid shaped roof for doing the books
http://www.fra.org.uk/
Where space allows, a mono-pitch or ‘pent’ roof can look very distinctive. If the pitch is at
least 14 degrees, preferably 18, then many options are available for covering including
cedar shakes and shingles, slates etc. Roofing materials with a high recycled content are
coming on to the market including ‘eco-slates’ manufactured from recycled plastic and
which are indistinguishable from the real thing. Cheaper options include asphalt tiles or
sheet but neither has a very long life.

Firestone permaroof membrane Cedar shingles Recycled plastic eco-slates

www.permaroof.co.uk/ www.ajsmith.uk.com/cedarshingles www.athyecoslate.com/

Green roofs can look attractive though they need regular maintenance if they are not to
look very scruffy after a year or so and there is a significant premium to pay for the
additional materials. Also, if you are a keen gardener, you will probably want to collect the
water rather than reducing run off. A roof of 10 square metres will usually provide at least
800 litres of rainwater at the start of the Summer. Black plastic guttering is fine, especially
if not visible but galvanised steel offers a very attractive alternative.

The most economical shape for a garden building is square since

a long, narrow building will be much more expensive for the area
achieved. (A 16 sq metre square building requires a wall run of
16 linear metres whereas an 8 x 2 metre building giving the same
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floor area, requires 20 linear metres of wall or 25% more!). However, it is largely a matter
of personal preference, knowing how you will use the space and how the building will fit
into the garden and complement or enhance surrounding buildings.
www.lindab.co.uk/frameset www.greenroofstoday.co.uk

External finishes and materials

Many garden buildings are clad in timber but check to
see what type of timber is used and how much
maintenance will be required. Softwood, especially if it
needs repainting or treating every other year, may not
be as cheap as it seems in the long run. Most people
have enough work maintaining their house without
spending weekends maintaining another building! A
durable timber like Cedar will require no treatment and
even cheaper options such as Douglas Fir and Larch
which are semi-durable will last for 15-20 years without
treatment and much longer with the occasional coat of
preservative. www.trada.co.uk/index.html www.stourhead.com/sawn_timber.htm

Foundations

Most garden buildings are sufficiently lightweight not to need concrete foundations. 150-
200mm of compacted hardcore over sub-soil is one option but a cheaper one is to remove
the top layer of vegetation and install an interlocking plastic system which is backfilled with
pea gravel. The eco-base from Swift Foundations is one such system designed specifically
for garden buildings. Sloping sites, newly made ground and areas prone to flooding all
require special attention so if in doubt ask your supplier or a structural engineer
http://www.swiftfoundations.co.uk/
http://www.istructe.org/Pages/SeDefault.aspx

Internal finishes

On the inside, one of the major considerations is fire resistance. In most cases garden
buildings do not have to comply with Building Regulations and provide 30 minute fire
resistance. However, there may be circumstance where you would prefer the additional
piece of mind which comes from a fire resistant interior. A fireboard/plasterboard finish is
the normal choice and will give a high quality surface which allows cabling and sockets to
be recessed. Other options are available and special finishes such as pin board can be very
useful. Sundeala pin board is made from 100% recycled newsprint.

www.bbs-ltd.com/drylining_fire.htm
www.sundeala.co.uk/sundeala.htm www.norbord.com/SterlingOSB_Splash.shtml

Many people will use their garden building for music making and
sound insulation therefore becomes an issue. This is a huge
subject and very technical. Differences between attenuation,
absorption and transmission as well as different wavelengths
quickly confuse most people. Plenty of advice is available and
solutions need not be especially expensive. In general they also
offer fire resistance. The following web sites explain how to go
about sound proofing.

http://www.acoustic-supplies.com http://www.soundstop.co.uk
http://www.skanda-uk.com

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Plasterboard with a skim finish, recessed wiring and sockets provides a neat wall finish

Flooring is an important consideration too. Even with door mats and asking visitors to
remove their shoes, there is the potential for the floor to get wet and muddy after the walk
down the garden. Carpet is, therefore, generally not a good idea but rubber or one of the
modern linoleum products is a practical alternative: relatively cheap, easy to clean and
hard wearing. Wood can also be good though grit and dirt can quickly scratch the surface.
For a hardwearing surface, rubber is a good choice with a huge range of colours and
patterns available: www.jaymart.net/sarina.php
www.nora.com/com/uk/products.html

Planning

The UK Government changed the planning rules relating to outbuildings on 1 October 2008
so that, within 2 metres of any boundary, no structure (even a shed) can be higher than
2.5 metres. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/wales/genpub/en/1105619048902.html.
With the need to raise the building off the ground plus the thickness of floor and roof
insulation, this presents an interesting design challenge. Flat roofs are an obvious answer.
With headroom between 2075 and 2150mm (6’ 9” to 7’). buildings such as those below
offer a simple solution with adequate headroom for most people.

Penthouse 8 Penthouse 7.5

However, more attractive roof shapes are possible and the following sketches give an idea
of the options available if the building can be sited at least one metre from the boundary.

Flat roof with lantern

The simplest way of adding headroom and light is a
lantern. Glass lanterns can be very expensive but
polycarbonate versions offer a great alternative.
Double and triple skinned versions offer superior
thermal and sound insulation. Headroom is typically
2075 to 2150 (6’ 9” to 7’) plus an extra 300-500mm
(1’ -1’ 7”) under the lantern.
http://www.nationaldomelightcompany.co.uk/
Shallow hip

A shallow pitch of at least 15 degrees offers the

option of cladding the roof with cedar shingles and
just a few more degrees opens up lots of options
including eco-slates (imitation slates manufactured
from recycled plastic). Because of the need for a
slope, the height of the walls (eaves height) is
reduced but greater headroom can be achieved
throughout the rest of the building. Typically
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1800mm (5’ 10”) at the eaves, headroom increases to 1930mm (6’ 4”) 500mm in from the
walls and is 2600mm (8’ 6”) in the centre.

Shallow hip + gablets

When the garden is a little bigger there is the

potential to add ‘gablets’ to the roof: triangular gable
ends. These can be left solid but using triangular
windows makes a very attractive roof shape and
provides additional light. Headroom is similar to the
shallow hip design above.

Both shallow hip designs require one wall to be inset

by 600-1000mm to allow installation of doors. This creates an attractive porch or veranda
depending on size.

Other hints and tips

A porch offers some protection from the rain for you and your
papers, computer etc while you open up.

Install twice as many power points as you think you will need (4 doubles as a minimum)

When running the power cable from the house to the garden building, run several lengths
of ethernet, telephone and alarm cable at the same time even if you are not going to
use it.

Conclusion

We hope you have found this guide useful. It is designed to answer most of the questions
which arise when people consider installing a building in their garden. The advice and in-
formation is intended to be objective but, since we believe that there is more value to be
had from a building which is comfortable all year round and requires little maintenance,
there is an inevitable bias towards high levels of insulation, high quality materials and com-
ponents and low maintenance finishes and products. If, in the long run, this approach
saves customers money and a few tonnes of CO 2, so much the better. We hope you find
your space for life as rewarding as we find ours.

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Gallery: examples of bespoke designs

Flat roof office, Harpenden; the prototype! Shallow pitch roof to bookbinding workshop, London

Apex roof office, Aldeburgh Flat roof studio, Exeter

Pitched roof clad in cedar shingles; Surrey Pent roof office in London

Pent roof office, Oxfor

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Bespoke designs to meet current planning restrictions on height

Standard designs to meet current planning restrictions on height

Penthouse 8 Penthouse 7.5

Price guide

Most customers requirements are so specific that a bespoke design is the only was to meet
their needs. However, standard designs are an economical option when economy is more
important. Standard designs (see gallery) work out at £9-10,000 including VAT for 7.5-8
sq metres internal floor area.

Investment in a bespoke design depends on roof shape and covering, number and size of
windows and doors etc. but, as a rough guide, allow £1500 per square metre for up to 8
square metres, reducing to £1300 a square metre for up to 15 square metres. For
buildings in excess of 25 square metres, prices can reduce to approx. £1000 a square
metre including VAT.

Prices include design, delivery, foundations, installation, internal wiring and finishes etc.
The only exclusions are trenching and cabling between house and garden building and
painting.

Further information, installations and testimonials

For more information contact Neil Johnston on 01582 469076 or email

neil@vividgreen.co.uk or visit the web site: www.vividgreen.co.uk. A small building is on
permanent display at Townsend Nursery, Townsend Lane, Harpenden, AL5 2RH. We also
have a growing number of installations of all shapes and sizes throughout the country so
please call us to find one near you

Feedback

The content of this guide is based on those questions most often asked by customers and
those enquiring about garden buildings. If there are topics you would like covered please
let us know.

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Other structures

Larger buildings

The design principles and construction techniques used in our garden buildings are applied
to larger structures up to 300 square metres to provide comfortable, efficient, low
maintenance structures for a variety of uses.

A WC and shower block for Scout and Guide camp site A dormitory for a residential centre

A concept design for a holiday eco-lodge A 50 place nursery

Pavilion

Timber framed and clad with

canvas roof liner and synthetic
tensioned fly sheet. One double
and one single bedroom plus
sleeping/play loft. Additional
insulation offers scope for year
round use. Separate brochure
available.

Canvas lodges

Timber framed, canvas covered

lodges for Summer/one season
use. Timber floor, windows and
doors. Simple, robust
accommodation for campers,
cyclists, walkers, summer camps
etc. Separate brochure available.

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Appendix A. Standards for sustainable buildings

Not particularly relevant for garden buildings but if you are interested in more sustainable
construction, there are many claims for green buildings but how do you know which ones
really mean something? We claim that our garden offices, studios and workshops are low
energy because we design them to at least achieve the standard of insulation required for
new housing as defined in Part L of the Buuilding Regulations. Most clients opt for the
Penthouse 100 spec but some are persuaded by the higher level of comfort and reduced
heating costs from adopting the higher Penthouse 150 spec. For larger buildings there are
several standards which are worth considering.

BREAM has been around for a long time and now encompasses a range of assessments for
many different buildings.

http://www.breeam.org/

The Government issued the Code for Sustainable Homes last year which, as the name sug-
gests, relates to housing with Level 3 the minimum required for publicly funded housing
and Level 6 the aspirational goal.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/buildingregulations/legislation/englan
dwales/codesustainable/

Finally and, in my view, most relevantly, there is the system being promoted by the Associ-
ation of Environment Conscious Builders (AECB). This is very simple to understand with
both a prescriptive and performance based approach and plenty of practical advice on how
to use the standards. Essentially Silver should be the minimum to which anyone considers
building with the Gold standard somewhat higher in performance than even the German
Passiv Haus standard.

http://www.carbonlite.org.uk/carbonlite/

Whether you adopt one of these standards as a goal in its own right or use the guidance as
a way of improving an existing design, the benefits can be significant. As with all building,
incorporating energy saving measures at an early stage in the design is far easier than ad-
aptation or retrofit in the future. And, in most cases, the premium can be as low as 5-15%
of the capital cost for a lifetime of savings.

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Notes and questions

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© Vivid Green Ltd; April 2009.
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