The rapidly growing SoHo (small office/home office) sector is creating market demand for office furniture, computer equipment and telephony systems scaled to smaller business enterprises operating from home. Typical of the trend is the Lean Agency, which recently relocated from the familiar advertising industry environs of London’s Soho, to custom-made SoHo premises in suburban Buckinghamshire, and now occupying what might be bluntly termed a shed!

Having been designed and built by one of its talented art directors, Andy White, Lean’s new head office is no ordinary shed, but a ‘creative work space that releases, inspires and invigorates’, doubling outside work hours as a chill-out zone, entertainment area and summerhouse. What’s more, Lean’s office furniture, kitchen units and bar area (of course) are beautifully clad in Granite Transformation’s recycled glass finishing material, a product best known for kitchen makeovers, but perfect too for the emerging SoHo marketplace.

“When the lease of our central London office came up for renewal, we had the choice of either signing up for a huge increase in rent and overheads, or taking the plunge and moving to a different location,” says Andy. “After months of searching, I decided that the answer was literally on my doorstep or, to be more precise, at the bottom of my garden.”

A full-service agency specialising in business-to-business publicity, consumer advertising and direct marketing, Lean’s business approach is about keeping costs down by cutting out unnecessary expenditure, with clients dealing directly with the creative partners. The relocation to SoHo premises means offering even better value to clients and saves four hours a day commuting time, which can be reallocated to creative work.

The traditional wood-build shed is something of a work of art, with a high quality insulated roof, external redwood shiplap boards, roof joists clad with tongue-and-groove planks, engineered oak flooring and painted internal wood panelling, all made with timber from renewable sources. Large bi-fold glazed doors occupy the front elevation, allowing the workspace to be opened onto the adjoining deck area, while Pilkington K glass filled with argon adds to the shed’s overall energy efficiency.

Inside, electrical and network cabling are concealed and help to make the interior aesthetically pleasing and practical, whether used for business or leisure. There is also a separate kitchenette/bar area and fully fitted bathroom, complete with toilet, bath and shower, and throughout the structure downlighting serves both practical and cosmetic purposes.

The Granite Transformations Ghiaccio agglomerate material used for finishing the internal fitments and furniture has a soft white ground speckled with grey, beige and brown, chosen for its luxurious look and reflective qualities. A tough, hardwearing, yet lightweight and flexible surface, it is made from post-consumer recycled glass blended with a small percentage of high grade polyester resin, to deliver outstanding technical performance. In an office environment like this, it resists hard knocks, abrasions, scratches and heat, is impermeable to water, coffee and alcohol spills, survives errant cigarette burns, and requires no maintenance, other than an occasional wipe with a microfibre polishing cloth.

“We wanted a practical, hardwearing surface that is tough, easy to clean and looks the business,” says Andy. “Granite Transformations offers the perfect material that enhances the lines of our furniture, adds a touch of luxury and creates an eyecatching centrepiece that looks like it’s carved from solid stone.”

The office furniture features a custom-made ‘floating desk’, with an unobstructed run supported by a single curved storage unit. The design presented quite a challenge for the skilled Granite Transformations fitters, but the material’s large 3m x 1.25m slab size, slim dimensions and inherent flexibility made it possible to create a virtually seamless finish, with bonded edging strips simulating a deep countertop.

The same Ghiaccio material was used for the kitchen worktops, complete with luxurious waterfall ends, and Granite Transformations also supplied high-gloss white cupboard doors for the units. The soft white look continues into the bathroom, with the bath panel, shelving, wash basin surround and shower stall all clad in the identical finish. Andy carried out most of the construction work himself and the pleasing end-result reflects well on the Lean Agency’s creative credentials. So the shed is not just a SoHo, it’s a work example too.