A north of England based company specializing in serving the growing trend for working from home, is making use of circular Coxdome rooflights in order to deliver daylight into its customized spherical-shaped office pods.
Archipod Limited is to be found on the Elvington Industrial Estate in Yorkshire and markets its distinctive, stand-alone structures as being suitable for use as a workplace, studio, hobby room, children’s play-space or outside entertainment room.
There are two sizes to choose from – the 2.9 metre diameter archipod or the one metre larger fatpod – though both feature a Coxdome Circular Rooflight at the centre to their roof area.
The Coxdome Circular Rooflight is available in a range of sizes from 600mm – going up in 100mm increments – to 2200mm diameter. With a choice of double, triple or quadruple skins, the domes are manufactured from 3mm Polycarbonate and the upstands from Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP). Glazing is available in Clear, Diffused, Opal, or Cool & Clear.
Hinged opening domes are available either manually or electrically operated, while all the ventilation frames are manufactured from extruded white PVC-u sections. As selected in this instance by Archipod, the manually operated option is supplied with a spindle gear and is operated from floor level using a winding pole: ventilation is controlled with a maximum opening of approximately 300mm.
The electrically powered alternative uses a chain link actuator and is driven using a 240V mains supply. A toggle switch is supplied as standard. Rain, wind and temperature sensors along with a remote control can also be specified for the electrically operated version.
A spokesperson for Archipod Limited commented: “The archipod has a 2.9 metre internal diameter, with a height of 2.5 metres from the floor to the underside of the rooflight as standard. Our pod has been specifically designed to meet a high standard rather than a low budget. This includes its unusual and contemporary look: its ergonomic interior placing the user at the centre of the curved desk and the quality of the fixtures and fittings.
"There are cheaper garden offices on the market, but our intention is to provide a more interesting and better quality alternative.
"When it came to selecting the right type of rooflight for the archipod we were looking at two round models on the market: deciding that the Coxdome Circular best suited our needs because not only did it offer the best design, but also the keenest price.”
As the manufacturer’s literature on the spherical office pods spells out – the specification includes a ‘one metre diameter, hinged double skin polycarbonate roof dome to maximize natural daylight and ventilation.’
The well insulated Coxdome in fact combines with a thermally efficient shell that places glass-fibre and high performance foil insulation into a construction featuring curved plywood and plasterboard lining.
The curved desk and fittings are then installed while cedar shingles present an equally environmentally-friendly face to the garden and occupants of the main building.
