Budget Breakdown: His $11K Backyard Office Has Worktops Made From a Tree Planted by His Grandfather
Designer Ed Barsley’s DIY space emphasizes personal touch and upcycled materials, like slate from the roof of his house and flooring from a neighbor.
Designer Ed Barsley’s DIY space emphasizes personal touch and upcycled materials, like slate from the roof of his house and flooring from a neighbor.
It was 2017 and Ed Barsley had a full schedule. Between completing his PhD in architecture and writing a book, long hours working on a laptop left him looking for an outlet that would get him outdoors while contemplating a different type of design challenge.
Ed Barsley, founder of TEDS, his design firm, created this flexible studio in his backyard in Cambridge, England. The 160-square-foot space reflects his professional work on climate-resilient architecture by incorporating primarily recycled materials and a green roof.
Image courtesy of TEDS
"One of the ways I relax is through thinking about design and different problems," says Ed, who runs his firm, The Environmental Design Studio (TEDS). "When I’m talking through a design, I have to go from the abstract concept down to, Right, actually, practically, how do you do this?"
Ed purchased his Victorian terrace home in Cambridge, England, in 2014 and tackled various renovation projects over the years. By 2017, he was satisfied with where things stood, which meant it was time to tackle the asbestos-riddled shed in the rear garden. Thinking about how to create a flexible workspace in its place was just the kind of design challenge he was looking for.
"I’m really glad that we didn’t just chuck the slate into landfill," Ed says. "It’s 100 years old. It has a beautiful texture."
Image courtesy of TEDS
While not a contractor by trade, in 2009, Ed spent a year in the woods of Cornwall learning construction by living and working with a father-son duo. They built a timber-frame home, which gave him the experience and confidence to build on his own.
"They were getting me and my time helping them build, but I was learning how to make things. Martin, the dad, would show me how to use the tools. Sometimes he’d say, ‘I'm just going to show you this once,’ and then he'd trust me to go and use it," Ed says.
The facade’s slate tiles, which came from the roof of Ed’s Victorian, also act as a "bug hotel," providing shelter for insects. A water feature and bird bath are built into the exterior.
Image courtesy of TEDS
See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: His $11K Backyard Office Has Worktops Made From a Tree Planted by His Grandfather
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