How to Turn an Outdoor Office from a Dream into a Reality (2024)

The coronavirus pandemic has certainly changed our lives forever, namely in the way we view our homes. Because the home has also become our office, daycare, gym, restaurant, and bar, it’s important that it fits our individual needs. And with remote work paving the way for the future, it's especially important that our home makes for a healthy and happy work environment. It also means many of us have the new-found freedom to move somewhere with ample outdoor space.

“We’re just starting to get some serious interest in the idea of an outdoor working space, but it feels natural with everything else that’s going on," says Joe Raboine, outdoor living design expert for Belgard. People are becoming more appreciative of the home and having their own space if they’re lucky, especially if they have outdoor space. It’s driving a lot of interest for people right now who are thinking if they are going to be outside, they might as well make it as nice as it can be.”

Raboine has seen a growth in projects over the last five years when it comes to extending the living space outdoors, with backyard kitchens and entertainment centers becoming increasingly popular. But he says the idea of what an outdoor space should be is extending far beyond a place to host weekend barbecues.

“There has been a trend happening in the last year or two that outdoor living spaces are now being considered as much more than just a place to entertain on the weekend,” he says. “People are realizing the health and wellbeing aspect of their outdoor space and how these spaces can be designed to be more easily integrated in their everyday lives. Now it’s about recharging yourself and your spirit, prioritizing exercise and meditation instead of just entertainment.”

Raboine says he is also seeing a big shift toward greater interest in biodiversity and a sense of place. There is a growing demand for edible plants, pollinator gardens, and an overall sustainable landscape that offers a much more holistic viewpoint of outdoor living. Surely it should have a positive impact on our mental health and work day, right? It's a growing trend among our favorite designers, and we're expecting to see more outdoor offices in the wake of flexible work arrangements becoming the norm.

How to Build an Outdoor Office Space

Luckily, once you’ve checked with your HOA and municipal regulations regarding building a freestanding structure on your property, building an outdoor office is a pretty uncomplicated process.

“Consider the space you have and take advantage of positioning,” Raboine says. “You want something that’s far enough away from the noise and considerate of where the sun will be at different points of the day so you aren’t getting blasted with light.”

He says optimal enjoyment of a “remote” outdoor office would mean placing it in view of a lush garden, outdoor fireplace, or even a pretty water fixture. Depending on the climate where you live and if you’d like to use the space year-round, Raboine would also advise opting for high-quality windows, making sure you have proper insulation, and consider adding A/C and heat capabilities. Awning-style windows are another great option for weathering the elements.

“This doesn’t have to be a very big space, just an eight-by-ten-foot structure,” he says. “Just think about the layout—what storage you need, and if it could be a multipurpose space, doubling as an art studio or some other space.”

If you’re limited on outdoor space or can’t build a freestanding structure, Raboine says a standard cubicle is a six-foot square, so if you have at least that much space, you have enough to add an awning, an exterior fan, and possibly a water feature to drown out city noises and establish a working space to at least enjoy for a few hours at a time.

“It’s an exciting time for our industry, and people are reassessing what’s important,” Raboine says. “A big trend that’s emerging is biophilic design, which is essentially blurring the lines of what the built and natural world around you is, where your structure ends and landscape starts. It’s a more organic feel than the rigid differentiation we’ve seen in homebuilding for years, and it’s only going to get more popular with all that’s going on.”

He says adding in native flowers, grasses, and plants to your outdoor area can dramatically improve its feel and function and simultaneously invites the natural habitat back in. Bringing the indoors out might be the way of the future, and why not start with your workspace?

“How great would it be to sit outside and watch butterflies around the garden while you do your work?” he says.