Reducing complexity and difficulty for would-be geodesic dome builders, this series of connective ‘Hubs‘ makes it possible for do-it-yourself types and even kids to collaborate on creating stable architecture.

Connector rods are joined at a hub that acts as a ball joint. The connector ball screws into a piece of lumber then attaches to the node. A simple structure can use materials on hand to build a working dome in a matter of minutes, all assembled by just a few people.

Building geodesic domes from metal parts can be laborious and frustrating – each piece has to be perfectly bent to join the rest, and the resulting structure is extremely heavy. The Hubs system is much cheaper than buying (or bending) a conventional dome.

Chris Jordan and Mike Paisley started work on this system a few years ago and recently made it available for purchase after a successful round of crowdfunding brought it to market. Their hope is to make dome-building a more accessible, cheap and easy process for everyone.

While wood and plastic are technically more durable, this approach lends itself to organic settings, creating wood structures that look appropriate in backyard settings and for temporary purposes or as ersatz tree houses. It is also more adaptable: cutting different lengths of wood lets users scale their dome more easily than with metal or plastic. And it is more flexible, too: the joints can bend and give, as can the wood, making the construction more forgiving.

A backyard refuge to work, practice, paint or meditate separates you from the activities inside your home and gives you prime views of your backyard, garden or urban rooftop space. Adding a freestanding room can be as simple as having a fully-assembled prefab volume plunked right onto your property, and you can often customize them your ideal interior configurations, windows, built-in furniture and surfaces. Order one of these ready-to-go options, or use them as inspiration to build your own.

Prefabs by InOutside

A wood-clad cube with one corner entirely consisting of glass, the ‘Cooba’ by InOutside is a prefab modern room that’s ready to be dropped into your backyard as a studio, office or guest space. It starts at just over $15K (AUS) and when there’s easy access to the site, it can be delivered pre-assembled, requiring no concrete foundation or special equipment.

House Arc by Bellomo Architects

A modular system of bent steel tubes serves as the basis of ‘House Arc’, an unusually shaped rehab designed with environmental sensitivity in mind. It’s got a lattice screen roof providing a bit of shade and interest, rounded ends , translucent panels to let in light, and sliding glass doors. It’s made to be fully off-the-grid, can be flat-packed and shipped in a box that’s barely larger than that of a typical IKEA bed frame, and weighs 3000 pounds when complete.

Modular Library Studio by 3rd Space

Is this the coolest backyard room of all time? 3rd Space didn’t just add an office to the garden of a literature professor in Oxfordshire – they gave her an entire private library, with floor-to-ceiling windows and walls lined with books. The prefab system can really be used for anything, but the custom shelving really makes this unit special.

Green Roof Garden Studio by Eco Space

Vertical slats and optional green roofs add a whole lot of charm to Ecospace studios and their smaller models, including the medium-sized MidiPod. Based in the UK, Ecospace offers a sustainable and affordable alternative to a fixed addition. These studios are flexible and modular so they can be tailored, reconfigured or extended. The WorkPod is the smallest of all, built for a single user with a typical installation time of just 5 days.

The LoftCube

No backyard to work with? How about a roof? The Loft Cube functions like a ready-to-go rooftop extension and ranges in size from a modest 365 square foot volume, which requires no building permits in its home nation of Belgium, to a volume that’s plenty large enough to live in at over 900 square feet. You can even stack the cubes on top of each other to create a larger dwelling.

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Prefab Office Pods 14 Studios Workspaces Made For Your Backyard

Part backyard office, part storage space, part sculpture: the ‘Shoffice’ by Platform 5 Architects is a multi-functional pavilion that curls over itself like a shell. The architects created this unusual detached office structure for a residence in northwest London, and it fits neatly into a small walled garden space.

Two-thirds of the shed/office combo is enclosed for use as an office, while the other third is open to the elements. The open area provides a space to store gardening implements and other items that would normally be kept in a shed.

The wooden shell curves from one side of the office all the way under its floor, creating a terrace in front for lounging in the sun. The structure is made with two steel ring beams, timber ribs and a plywood skin, and was mostly prefabricated for ease of installation.

Glass walls on two sides provide both daylighting and a view straight into the home, providing a visual connection but maintaining the peace and privacy desired in a detached office or studio.

The ‘Shoffice’ is just one of many such backyard retreats. See 14 more outside offices including work pods, ‘eggs’, modular structures and more.

Hank Hill might look askance at any artistic affectation of “propane and propane accessories” but give the big fella his due: propane is America’s grilling gas of choice. These days propane gas tanks have found a place in urban, suburban and rural settings with some owners choosing to beautify them so they’ll fit in even better.

Tankheads

(images via: Instructables and That’s Nerdalicious)

Ever notice how those dime a dozen 20lb portable propane tanks look sorta like LEGO heads? Will painting one yellow and adding minimalist facial features help? Yes and yes – and the gang at Instructables shows you exactly how to get ahead, so to speak, in the LEGO head lookalike propane tank game.

Make Mine Melon

(images via: Junk Market Style)

Watermelons give you gas, who knew? All it takes is a little imagination (plus a couple of old coat hangers and some wooden beads) and that rusty old propane tank will be looking as cool as a cucumber… or, well, some other large green edible.

Darwin’s Designs

(images via: Propane.pro and Darwin Design)

Is T.J. Darwin really “The Propane Picasso”? Undoubtedly the late Spanish artist would be impressed by the colorful and elaborate tableaux Darwin displays on water and propane tanks. The 46-year-old Darwin finds plenty of tanks to practice on in propane-dependent Idyllwild, CA, and a previous stint in the art department at FAO Schwartz allowed him to hone his illustrating skills. “I like the three-dimensional surface,” stated Darwin to a reporter from the local Press-Enterprise newspaper. “It tells a story.” Even more so once Darwin finishes with it.

Tank in Sheep’s Clothing

(images via: Zan’s Art)

Who says painted propane tanks have to be wild & wooly when merely wooly is more than enough? Alexandra Orton whipped up “Fluffy” for the All the King’s Horses Children’s Ranch in Benson, AZ.

Rocky Mountain High

(image via: Sally Cruikshank)

Artist Sally Cruikshank isn’t exactly a jet-setter but her hand-painted propane tank sure is and it’s anything but “plane”. Better keep that tank filled with propane and not Red Bull – all it needs is wings and it’s gone, man.

Grillin’ & Grinnin’

(images via: GrabCAD)

The talented folks at GrabCAD show that the art of propane tank decoration need not be a low-tech endeavor. According to Kastle at GrabCAD, the basic concept was downloaded from 3dcontentcentral and modified for use in a personal project. Sure hope this terrific tank sees the light of day someday!

Hotter Than Halloween

(image via: Instructables)

The creative crew from Instructables is at it again, this time transforming a clapped out but still serviceable propane tank into the hottest jack-o-lantern this side of Halloweentown. Word to the wise: this is one “pumpkin” you’ll NOT want to light up with a lit candle.

Tailgater Aid

(images via: Tailgating Ideas)

You gotta support the team and where face-painting leaves off, propane tank painting picks up… or maybe that should be, kick’s off. Tailgating Ideas’ reader Mike from Severn, Maryland, shared his tank decorating technique and as you might guess, it takes both time and talent. Especially the former, as applying the pigskin-like dimples to the tank took hours using the blunt end of a toothpick.

Highway Tankers

(images via: OldTrailer.com)

If you’re determined to restore a 1956 Shasta “canned ham” style trailer the right way, then leaving out the twin propane tanks is not an option. Don’t these look great all decked out in Mint Green & White divided by a staggered silver stripe?

We All Live In A…

(images via: Forever Decorating)

Don’t tell Mitt Romney but propane-powered submarines went out with horses and bayonets. There’s one cheerfully painted holdover, however, deep in the heart of Texas and as pretty as a yellow rose. A little Plaid acrylic paint topped with Valspar outdoor sealer ensures this sweet sub will sail on through any type of weather.

Flames On!

(images via: crb1177 and ChuckBauman.com)

Chuck Bauman’s famed for his flames and deservedly so – the dude’s a master of the art of Realistic Flames Airbrushing! Some might say painting a propane tank with realistic flames is just asking for trouble but we disagree: it’s more like asking for admiring comments, and getting them.

Got Propane?

(images via: LJWorld and Coal Creek Farm)

If your cow emits propane instead of methane, you just might be drawing a combustible concoction from a moo-tifully modified storage tank. If not, you’ve just plugged the grill fueling hose into a very unhappy bull.

Bigger Bird

(images via: Plaid Red)

It’s a bird, it’s a tank, it’s a… tank painted up to look like a bird. Won’t be the first time someone’s had to gas up the T-bird but anyway, this tank was originally supposed to be a rooster but the artist’s unchecked creativity soon led her off the beaten track into a very different place. Not that we’re complaining, the end result looks anything but cheep.

If You Pilled It, They Will Come

(images via: You Tour Like a Girl and Lomojunkie71)

Lessee now, propane or Prozac? You’re gonna need a whole lot of the latter if you just filled your 500-gallon propane tank and the grill decides to self-destruct. Luckily there’s a solution – sitting on somebody’s lawn in Milan (some say Red Hook), New York is the world’s biggest Prozac pill. You might think you’ll need a BIG glass of water to get that sucker down but good news everyone… it’s a suppository.

King Of The Hills

(image via: The Feral Irishman)

You don’t have to love propane (and propane accessories) as much as Strickland Propane’s Hank Hill but a little TLC can go a long way towards beautifying your yard. Propane tanks whether portable or permanent are easily visible so make sure they’re visually appealing – with a little imagination and some elbow grease who knows how your tank or tanks will end up?