Made fashionable in the 17th century, orangeries, sunrooms, garden rooms and conservatories traditionally allowed the gentry to enjoy exotic or delicate flowers and fruit in their grounds, that would otherwise not have survived in colder climates. Today, their function and form has changed considerably and can vary from standalone buildings used as office or guest accommodation, to extensions providing additional family space.
The boundary between oak orangeries, oak garden rooms or sun rooms, and oak conservatories has become blurred, but they have one thing in common: extensive use of glass to enjoy the views and to let the outside in. All of these structures feature mainly glass walls (full or partial) , the main difference between them being their roof components.
Oak orangeries tend to have a flat opaque roof, sometimes with a glass lantern in the centre, which can be vented. Internally, half trusses are visible and provide a partially vaulted ceiling appearance. The glass lantern allows the natural light to flood into the room. Walls can be fully or partially glazed. An oak framed orangery can be a standalone building, or it can be attached to the house in an open plan format. Oak framed orangeries provide a great solution for situations, where height restrictions apply, for example when designing a single floor extension to a two-storey house.
Oak garden rooms (also called oak sun rooms) tend to have a fully pitched tile or slate roof, like a small house, with fully or partially glazed walls and often feature bifold or sliding doors. Oak garden rooms usually feature internally visible trusses, which create beautiful vaulted ceilings and spectacular spaces. An oak garden room can be a standalone building, serving as poolside dining room or office, or it can be fully attached to the house, with the roof integrating into the main roof structure. The connection can be fully open and add a fabulous family space, full of light and characterful features. Oak garden rooms make popular kitchen extensions, fabulous dining room extensions or spectacular entrance halls.
Oak conservatories, on the other hand, usually have fully glazed oak frame roofs and walls. Oak conservatories have specific building regulations conditions and need to be separated from the main house by and external door. They also need to have a separate heating system. Once popular, an oak conservatory is not so much of an extension of choice these days. The glass roof means that the space is likely to overheat in the summer and lose heat in the winter, while the limitations on how it connects to your house reduce its options as family space.
If you already have a design or planning permission, get in touch straight away and we will be able to provide you with a budget quote. If you require design and planning application, our sales representative will be able to put you in touch with reliable, independent oak framing design specialists to help you bring your vision to life and create 3D designs, which we use in manufacturing process.
