THE POP-UP PAD

An Ecospace prefab is one of the most versatile small spaces money can buy. And now they are beautiful inside and out

It’s easy to be instantly seduced by the exterior design of a concept like the Ecospace – a customisable, architecturally led prefabricated pod – and not think too much in advance about the interior. But the images shown here, shot by renowned fashion photographer Ben Benoliel, highlight just how functional and stylish an Ecospace can be.

Created by London-based IPT Architects, Ecospaces come in a variety of finishes and can be made in almost any size, from a simple garden shed to a complete holiday home. The compact building shown here is like an ultra-desirable bungalow. Clad in thermally insulating cedarwood on the outside and birch plywood on the inside, it has full-length windows, a bijou kitchen and study and a ‘crash space’ for lounging or storage tucked away on a mezzanine level. Handmade sustainable furnishings by Adventures in Furniture and beautiful established plants from Bermondsey florist Uluntu complement Ecospaces’ use of environmentally conscious materials and manufacturing processes, demonstrating just how homely and stylish these pods can look.

Like what you see? Ecospaces start from £9,950 and you can choose to add extra features on top, from underfloor heating and wood-burning stoves to solar panels and sedum-planted roofs. The company will take care of any planning permission and building regulation submissions that need to be made and, as most of the construction takes place off site, a simple garden room can be built, fitted out and made ready for use within five days (ecospacestudios.com).