Building a Garden Room, Conservatory or Orangery
All you need to know about how to plan and design and build the perfect contemporary orangery, conservatory or garden room for your home
Both Orangeries and Garden rooms are similar to conservatories in many respects, however, they are generally of more substantial proportions and construction. This includes full height, solid pillars and roofs. Roof lanterns are often included to increase the sense of space and light.
An Orangery or Garden Room can create a unique feature to your family room and help link the house to the garden. Careful consideration is required to ensure that the orientation of the garden room won’t make it too cold in winter or too hot in summer.
The function of the space is also a key consideration – will it be used as an quiet sanctuary or an entertaining space?
An orangery structure can also be beneficial where there are first floor windows above, or where there are restrictions on how tall the planning department would allow. Garden Rooms can also be detached structures and can have a number of functions including a guest bedroom suite, an office, play room, gym or leisure facilities.
Planning And Building Regulations For Orangery And Garden Room Extensions
Depending on whether the garden room is attached or detached can have a big impact on the regulatory aspects.
Attached building
Planning for attached orangeries and contemporary garden rooms are treated like any other house extension. In most cases planning authorities will apply their local policies, whether that be for single storey rear house extensions or any specific conservatory. It may also be possible to create an orangery through permitted development legislation.
Building Regulations for attached orangeries specify a limit on the amount of glazing allowable, Other regulations control aspects such as the heating system. With careful design it may be possible to allow garden room extensions to be separated by normal internal doors or by having no separating doors at all.
Detached buildings
Planning for detached garden rooms under permitted development would potentially allow substantial structures to be created, However there are certain restrictions including external heights, position relative to boundaries, as well as the percentage of residential curtilage built on.
Depending on the size of the structure and whether there is any sleeping accommodation, garden rooms may not require building regulations approval. While this section specifically deals with separate spaces, many of the issues relate to the main areas of a home. Please follow this link for more information.
Hunter Architects & Planners are Experts in Orangery and Garden Room Projects
Flooded with light with excellent proportions and views over your garden, adding a garden room could be a fantastic addition or extension to your home!
Hunter Architects have been involved with numerous orangeries and garden rooms, whether these have been added as part of a wider programme of extensions and remodelling of existing homes, or within bespoke contemporary new build homes.
The examples on this page, as well as within our project gallery show a wide range of solutions.
Whilst not a traditional garden room our contemporary glass extension in Mottram St. Andrew provides a useful example.
Two further projects in Hale Barns Remodelling and Flintshire Remodelling illustrate how a garden room can be integrated into a wider whole house remodelling project.
The following case studies illustrate two very different scenarios:
CASE STUDIES
This project sought to replace an existing conservatory which, like many, had little use due to it being too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. This conservatory effectively cut the house off from the garden. As part of the redevelopment of the property a new contemporary garden room structure was added, which was integral to the main family room. The rear garden wrapped around the property and substantial corner doors were added to maximise panoramic views. The garden room was designed so that there were no structural elements to the corner to ensure no break within the views when the doors were open.
Contemporary Garden Room with stunning views over open farmland.
Originally conceived as a detached structure and then later, via a glazed link, as an extension to the main house as part of a wider remodelling project a contemporary garden room sits adjacent to a more traditional Victorian dwelling. Large corner doors and windows provide access and links to the garden and terrace. An overhanging roof provides shelter to allow the space to be used throughout the year.
Please note that the above comments are given as a simplistic overview of orangeries and garden rooms and should not be treated as specific advice.
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