Case Studies
We designed and built a stylish, contemporary orangery at a modern property in Chichester, West Sussex.
The brief
To take advantage of the very pretty harbourside frontage, the kitchen, dining areas of this three-storey property are on the first floor, with a balcony overlooking the harbour scene.
Downstairs has a lounge, also facing the front, and some utility space and a study facing the garden at the rear.
The clients, a medical professional and an academic, are both very keen gardeners and wanted an alternative dining and relaxing space that blended into the garden.
They wanted an orangery style extension, to take advantage of the abundance of light provided by the roof lantern, but didn’t feel that an elaborate, traditional style suited the uncomplicated rear elevation.
The design
Our Contemporary Orangery design, with a solid wall to the right, and a series of full height windows, sliding back fully on the other two sides, creates a wide, open space for warm summer days and evenings.
And for cooler weather, a comfortable area, protected from the elements but still immersed in the garden.
Materials
We used powder-coated aluminium frames for the windows and roof lantern.
We also changed the door and side windows on the house to match.
We installed toughened, double glazed, low emissivity glass for the windows and lantern, with added self-cleaning and tinting to the lantern.
Bricks were sourced locally to match as close as possible the original house brick.
Planning and building regulations
Because we were building onto the original, rear elevation of the property, and the orangery was not projecting beyond 4.0 metres, the extension didn’t require Planning Consent (although we did obtain a Certificate of Lawful Building from the local council, in confirmation).
We also applied for Building Regulations, thus ensuring all elements of the build were compliant with the latest statutory requirements.
This is particularly important when there is to be a permanent opening from the orangery into the house, as a whole raft of regulatory requirements come into play in terms of structural integrity, heat loss, foundation depths etc.
The build
As you will see from the photo of the original rear elevation, there were some waste pipes sited in the area of the proposed orangery, so one of the preparatory measures was to divert those.
Construction of the insulated base and walls was quite straightforward, with foundations laid to 1.0m.
Once the main structure was up and weather sealed, we created the new opening between the house and the orangery, which involved inserting a new steel lintel above the opening.
Immediately the steel was installed, there was a steady trail of trades people, electricians, plasterers, plumbers for the underfloor heating, and floor tilers, marshalled by our own Project Manager.
Our builder created a new patio area to finish.
Completing the project
Despite the usual weather challenges associated with a coastal location, the project was finished on schedule and at the agreed price.
Much to the delight of the clients, who have been very kind with their Google Review and as a reference to other prospective clients.
Our guarantee
All works, even those carried out by our contractors, are covered by our 10 year warranty. And, 12 months after the installation has been completed, we return to check everything is in good working order and the orangery has settled in over the past year.