Archie Hunter is a man who likes curves and, judging by the success of his Armadilla portable building, so do others.
"People are very attracted to it because of its organic shape; it sits naturally in the landscape," he said.
Since Armadilla Ltd was established just over three years ago, it has manufactured 200 of the curved larch-clad pods, and more orders are likely to follow after the company exhibited at Timber Expo.
"We’re at the point where we need to expand," said Mr Hunter, who is managing director of the company.
The Armadilla, which can be used as a summerhouse, garden office or bedroom, is a timber frame structure built on a steel chassis. The chassis allows it to be lifted by a fork lift and, as it can be moved in its entirety, for planning purposes it is regarded as a caravan and doesn’t need planning permission. All that is required for ground preparation is a membrane and gravel.
The pods also come with heating under the shipdeck laminate flooring, round double-glazed windows and are available in three configurations, or to bespoke specifications.
The Xtraroom is supplied with an en suite; two single beds, which can expand to form a double bed; a wardrobe; a fridge; and a sink.
The Garden Office has a wrap-around desk, archive storage, and optional en suite; while the Garden Room – the most popular model – has french doors but no fittings in order to provide more versatility.
Until now Armadilla has sold direct but Mr Hunter is looking at establishing licensing agreements.
