OfficePod - Tiny, Minimalist Office Space | Hacker News Reader

OfficePod - Tiny, Minimalist Office Space

officepod.co.uk

48 pointsrgrieselhuber53 comments

Just shy of $25K USD for a small room with a door as a single person's computer-based workspace? This is mind-numbingly stupid. You could hardly meet with a second person in there, let alone do anything on a whiteboard or requiring much more physical space than the small desk inside.

Why do tiny, minimalist things always cost so much?

In a place where land was expensive it might make economic sense. E.g. in Old Palo Alto houses cost about $1000 per square foot.

In a place where land is expensive you can still go ahead and build a 25 ft^2 addition for a hell of a lot less than $25k.

The expensive part is the land, not the construction cost. The reason this is attractive is that because it's not a building, it doesn't cost any land.

It may not cost anything for land, but the same thing goes for a regular tent, table, and chair. I think the greatest value proposition this product offers is the modern indoor office setting, which alone should attract quite a few buyers. Other than that, it really doesn't offer me anything much more than what a regular tent, table, and chair can do. I must admit, it is nice eye candy though.

These are all very good points. However, I would take one over a cubicle in a heartbeat.

I don't have a link handy, but this is very close to the initial concept for cubicles. Then middle managers intervened.

because they are not always mass produced in the start. Look at the price of ipods, mobiles and our good old computers for a reference.

I'd only buy it if it made a cool airlock decompression noise everytime I open the door.

>> "An independent study has shown that moving to OfficePOD reduces CO2 emissions by between 46% & 67%."

Where to start :/

I think they meant methane. When you fart, that pod will keep it all sealed inside. You might die of course.

The data is specific so it must be true.

It has the word "pod" in it, so it must be true.

I'd much prefer something like the ones shown at http://www.modern-shed.com/modeloffice.html

Different locales, so it may not be fair to compare prices, but the 6'x8' option above is about one third the price for comparable square footage.

I don't think it's that crazy for home offices. It could serve as a way to communicate to others that you are working, and it could help you mentally separate work and recreation.

They could also make it a tanning salon/office combo. Not only will you get your work done, but you'll get a great tan as well ;)

For $25k, you can afford a fully trained domberman, to stand at guard and keep your loved ones at bay while you work.

For that kind of money you could easily outfit an existing room with a top-quality computer, comfortable desk and chair, office supplies, whatever you need to work.

I don't think the biggest issue is money. It's more about space. Not everyone has an extra room that they can dedicate to having an office. And they may not even be able to add one for $25k.

No, but if you can find the space to put a pod like this outside, then you can find room for a small garden shed that costs < $1000 and outfit it with really nice furniture for a hell of a lot less than $25k.

Where I live, you can build a 30'x60'x15' pole shed for about $15k. That's bigger than some people's apartments!

Maybe not, but you can enclose a corner, outfit it with desk, chair, files, and computer, for less than $6000, much less $25k.

It took me about three minuets to get that this not a gag.

Nevertheless, such a pod would be rendered obsolete by the SurvivaBall. At least the ball travels around with you. http://survivaball.com/

It probably wouldn't have taken so long if you weren't distracted by the dancing :)

OffishBowl - Tiny thief friendly glass box office for your garden.

Actually I've thought about something similar many times (except I'd just build it myself). Or, maybe having a small RV to work in... getting away from wife and kid during work is the main issue for me ;)

If I had to spend that much money on a portable cubicle, I would use a shipping container as my platform instead. They are cheep, strong, secure and there is a worldwide infrastructure in place to ship them as cheaply as possible. I could have the whole thing shipped anywhere in the world with ease.

Nice looking, but you'd roast in one of these in California. They should add a fabric shade on top of it that extends at least 3 feet past the footprint on each side.

And you'd freeze in one of these in Canada. Unless you have a space heater, but in that case their claims of environmental benefits go out the window.

Assuming that's double paned class and that the rest is well insulated it'd be fine. Not everything in the world is constructed as shoddily as most houses in North America. We've got double paned windows and when it's -10°C out I can put my hand on them and they're only cool to the touch, not cold.

You need to actually check R-values. Even triple-pane windows with low-pressure dry Nitrogen between them has less insulation value than a sheetrocked stud wall with no added insulation.

As soon as you open the door, whoosh

Unfortunately, http://www.officepod.co.uk/blog/uk-price-announcement/

OfficePOD are pleased to announce an introductory price - for the United Kingdom - of just £14,950 plus installation and VAT.

So adding VAT at 17.5% that's £2,616.25 Bringing the total up to £17,566.25 Which is about $28,276 (USD). That's before you pay for installation too.

A bargain at a tenth the price!

edit: Actually, looking at the gallery, it does seem very useful indeed. Not sure it's worth over the cost of a medium sized car, but still.

I think this would be so much better and useful if it was a solar powered shower that sat in your garden. It could catch rain water when available and use tap water (from the hose) otherwise. It's pretty simple to stick a water tank in a solar oven to heat the water too. And you don't need a water pump if the water tank is on the roof, you get plenty of water pressure from gravity.

The water could also then drain into the garden if you used the right soaps in the shower.

A nice design like this could really bring grey water to people who don't want to build their own outdoor showers.

BTW, I know this idea is kind of out of left field but its the first thing I thought when I saw the box. It really looks like it would be a pleasure to take a shower in it while being in the garden.

Looks horrendous. Who wants to work inside a tiny box?

Agreed. If I was designing something like that, it would have a motorized roof. And a comfier chair. And a bigger desk. And be more like an open space which closed up for security at night than a closed space all the time. Or even, more like sitting outside with a laptop on a patio table and instead of walls closing around for security, you go back inside...

PS. Gardners want to work in tiny glass boxes because plants grow better in the warm humid greenhousy atmosphere. Maybe ideas do too?

You will have to work really hard to stay warm when the temperature drops and the rain turns into snow... But maybe that's the idea? - To improve efficiency?

Nice idea in concept but with all that glass going on I don't see how it can heat very well in the UK winter.

It doesn't include the cost of running power / network / phone line to it either - which if you want it done properly and done underground is not terribly cheap.

Lastly it just looks like a magnet for burglars to be breaking in and stealing stuff

This got submitted 8 months ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=623266

It didn't get a very good reception then, either.

EDIT: Sorry, looking at the wrong article. Last time it got one comment, and that was negative.

They should promote them as stackable too. Imagine these developer cubes filling a warehouse.

Something like this (not this) would be wonderful on top of a building in NYC. If you lived in a brownstone (owned a brownstone) and could put one of these on top, that'd be awesome.

http://www.wejetset.com/magazine/2009/6/23/723/places_to_liv...

For that price, if you want to have an office out in the garden, build a gazebo and REALLY enjoy your office being outdoors.

I prefer a coffee shop when not at home :-)

Rubbish idea, sitting looking like a glass-fish in a bowl and at this price point Totally Rubbish.

Ugh...does it come with your very own standard issue citizen's pants and shoes?

less windows please... the cube is much too open!

especially the window behind. read Feng Shui: they say it's uncomfortable if you cannot control what's behind you.

to let in light, a glass roof might be better instead.

They look pretty nice but what if it's raining?!

Why is that a problem? It looks like it has ventilation so you'd just close the door.

Yeh but you'd have to walk from your house, to your office in the rain, instead of rolling out of bed into your office.

The alpha version:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/apollosputnik/2447744070/

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