I built a micro-office so I could work outside by the pond.

I’m living in a small off-grid cabin where the wifi doesn’t reach, so I needed a place to work that was close to the wifi but not in the main house. Also, it is buggy here, so I needed something I could screen in. There happened to be a meditation platform here that was the exact dimensions that I wanted for sitting cross-legged.

I have a Pinterest board full of backyard offices and tiny hideaways, but I don’t have a budget for this, and I really needed something easy to build.

While I was pondering how to work in the garden, I happened to watch Dark Red Forest, a documentary about Buddhist nuns in the high mountains who practice tummo in individual little meditation boxes for 100 days a year. This inspired me to make a similar little box.

There was already a meditation platform here that I could use, and it happened to be the exact dimensions that I had wanted to use – 40″ x 40″ The base is made with 2x6s and plywood.

I also didn’t want to spend a lot of money, so I got the cheapest wood I could get: 1×3 strapping. It was less than $25. I wanted to be able to add a panel to the back to lean against, so the back “wall” is scrap 2×4. Everything else is 1×3.

It sat without a roof for a long time, as I searched for a scrap material. I was thinking metal roofing but a neighbour had some particleboard leftover from a project.

Design Considerations

One of the main considerations was how to get in and out of it. I wanted to keep the ceiling low, and needed to put a door somewhere. I initially thought I would have a removable panel of screen that would serve as the door, but now I plan to use zippered screen. I thuoght about putting the door at the back, but I knew I would probably want to lean on the back wall at some point, so I would want it to be strong and not have any give. That leaves the side or the front as the entry point. Since I needed a shelf to serve as a desk, that would limit the space I could have on the sides becasue I needed the horizontal support for the shelf.

Entering from the front was also a little impractical if the shelf is in the way.

I solved the entrance problem by making the shelf moveable. When I’m working, it’s in front of me, and when I need to get in and out, I added supports so I can move it to the side.

I just wanted something big enough to sit in. Before I discovered the meditation platform was available, I already decided on 40″ x 40″ because it is roughly the size of a zabuton meditation cushion and that is my reference of how much space is needed to sit cross-legged comfortably.

For the height, I sat with my back to a measuring tape, and decided that 4′ should be enough space to sit, and comfortably get in and out of.

Materials Used for the Garden Micro-Office

meditation platform: 2x6s and plywood
1×3 strapping: ~ $25
roofing: scraps of OSB
waterproofing: old shower curtain
shelf: 1×8
screws
Lifetime wood treatment

Next Steps:

I will be adding screen, since that was the main reason I built it. I’ll be using netting from a damaged gazebo, and leaving the zipper in the front.

The shower for the roof won’t last forever, so I will also look for something more robust to protect the particle board from water.

Then I will add a board a the back and maybe the back portion of the sides, and add cushions. That way I’ll be able to lean back if I’m watching something.

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