Tanglewood Conservatories Blog – Alan Stein's Writings about Custom Conservatory Design and More

Our Tanglewood workshop is a flurry of activity as several client projects begin to take shape simultaneously in the expert and ever-busy hands of our talented team. Since all of our structures are first assembled here to ensure exact fit and a smooth onsite installation, a village of conservatories often appears—seemingly overnight—in our workshop. Wood, steel, copper, bronze, and, of course, pristine glass all work in concert to form true masterpieces of architecture.

The other day, I carefully picked my way through the maze of work flowing through our rough mill, CNC, and assembly departments, destined for the construction area in the back portion of the shop. As I got about halfway across the floor, I passed two large copper-clad cupolas (trying saying that three times fast!). They were in the final stages of preparation for shipment, along with the corresponding conservatory and matching gazebo atop which they would sit once installed at their new home down south.

Beyond the cupolas, I could see the steel skeleton of a huge structure poised like a giant metal spider…an African spider perhaps, since that is the future homeland of this ‘French Country’ style orangery. Back in October, I wrote about how Tanglewood was chosen to create this beautiful structure by the client and his architect after they traveled to the U.S. to visit our workshop. Our Design & Engineering Team created a great design and the detailed construction plan is now in the capable hands of our craftspeople.

While steel forms the main support of the orangery, beautiful African mahogany will surround the steel and render virtually invisible the wiring and duct-work of 21^st century conveniences in this 19^th century style structure. Sunlight will shine down through the glass portions of the roof, illuminating the space. Multiple sets of exquisitely detailed mahogany and glass doors will let in the fresh air or shield the interior from the weather. The orangery will become a gathering place for our clients, their extended family, and friends.

Hundreds of years ago, orangeries earned their name by providing a place where citrus trees could be placed in tubs and protected from the winter elements.  The enclosed glass structure, with heat from a stove, created a wonderful microclimate to house trees, shrubs, and other tender/exotic plants. Over time, orangeries became a symbol of prestige and wealth, being admired as much for their architecture as for the fruit they held.

More often than not, our conservatories are constructed of wood, cradling the glass with beautiful arching lines, soaring angles, and exquisite detailing. A client recently asked: Could Tanglewood Conservatories create the same magic with steel and bronze? The answer is a resounding “YES!”

Great conservatory architecture invites you to linger and enjoy its rich details, fanciful embellishments and sensuous curves, regardless of the construction material. And so, eventhough we typically work with wood, our versatile team of engineers and craftspeople dove right in, creating a plan for a one-of-a-kind steel, bronze, and glass observation deck for the property, as well as an accompanying roof-lantern-style cap for the elevator in the home (shown here during the installation).

Looking at either structure from the outside, you will see nothing but rich bronze decorative work framing pristine glass. Our team engineered and created an exterior shell of beautiful bronze, providing strength, weather resistance, and an “old world” look. The metal is completely raw, yet flawless.

That perfection is mirrored on the inside as well, where the steel ribs of the observation deck add architectural intrigue and become part of the home’s decor. From our previous work in creating steel structures, we knew the project would require special care, as the joints must be both structural and decorative. The great glass houses of the nineteenth-century often had intricate patterns in the steel to add design interest and to lighten the structure. Could we include a design to be laser-cut into the steel ribs of the conservatory? —the client wanted to know. Absolutely!

Since the client has a background in mathematics, a historically significant mathematical sequence was selected for the design in the steel. The Fibonacci Sequence has been around for many centuries and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the past decade thanks in great part to the book (and movie) “The Da Vinci Code”. For the uninitiated, Fibonacci (also known as Leonardo Pisano Bigollo) was a 12th century Italian mathematician, considered by some “the most talented western mathematician of the Middle Ages”. He is credited with spreading the Hindu-Arabic numeral system in Europe, recognizing that arithmetic with Hindu-Arabic numerals is simpler and more efficient than with Roman numerals. (Thank you, Fibonacci!)

In the Fibonacci Sequence of numbers, each number is the sum of the previous two numbers, starting with 0 and 1. This sequence begins 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144… Our design team incorporated the first part of the sequence into each of the steel ribs in the core structure of the conservatory. Starting at the apex, you can see the following pattern of holes cut into the steel: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5. The resulting structure is a truly unique work of art, incorporating centuries-old design and 21st century technology.

Our Tanglewood workshop is buzzing with excitement as we kick-off the development phase of our first conservatory structure destined for the African continent. The exotic locale has our Installation Team dreaming of all things Africa—photo safaris, encounters with wildebeests, giraffes, and lions on the picturesque plains, gorillas and colorful songbirds in the jungles, beautiful desert oases… Oh, and the actual installation, of course!

Here’s Tom, one of our Installers, enjoying some
downtime during a recent project in Hawaii.

After literally searching the world over for 18 months to find the right manufacturer, the client selected Tanglewood Conservatories to complete their project. Along with their architect, the client had traveled to the U.S. to visit our workshop, and had seen firsthand the quality of our design & craftsmanship. They were drawn to us because of our ability to listen & collaborate with them to create something truly special and unique. That’s something our clients love about us. In fact, it’s not unheard of for them to want our design talents for more than just conservatory projects. For example, a couple in Pennsylvania had us design and build a conservatory for their primary home, and they were so impressed with our quality and Project Management, they asked us to design and build their entire new 2^nd home as well!

Conceptual drawing of Orangery

In the meantime, our Design/Engineering Team is finalizing the plans for the structure for Africa, incorporating the client’s wishes along with their own creative ideas. Our Construction Team will build the one-of-a-kind ‘French Country’ style Orangery out of beautiful equatorial African hardwood—imported to America for shaping and construction, and then returned to its native land in the form of a light- and warmth-filled space for gathering family and friends.

We love projects like this that allow us to flex our design muscles to create something that uniquely expresses our client’s desires. And we love to share our excitement with you all! Watch my Blog for updates & photos as we move through the phases of this remarkable project.

We made mention in our July post that HOMEFRONT Magazine featured one of Tanglewood’s conservatories in its summer 2011 issue. However, that is not the complete story. We would like to continue the tale and tell you a little bit more!

HOMEFRONT Magazine is published quarterly and each issue features “a sneak preview of the world’s finest in design, lifestyle and travel. Written by a team of respected experts in their chosen fields…” We are thrilled to have been chosen to have five different conservatories in this issue.

“Enamoured with Conservatories” begins with a greenhouse whose three sets of French doors open onto a stone patio set with a wicker table and chairs; the perfect setting for an early morning cup of coffee, a late morning brunch, an after dinner drink or anything in between. This large (21 feet wide, 28 feet long and nearly 20 feet high) Tanglewood conservatory is located in Florida on land that slopes towards a river. The glasshouse was added to the home as part of a major restoration of this historic property.

The next page features the poolside conservatory that graces the cover of the “Der Neue Wintergarten Ratgeber.” This bright and inviting glasshouse was created to provide the perfect place to relax or change before or after a vigorous or languorous swim in the pool or after an exercise session in the suite of exercise rooms located beneath it and connected by a spiral staircase! This Tanglewood conservatory, located in Glen Cove, New York, “beckons with the promise of a refreshing dip, an iced drink and a magnificent sunset.”

The third conservatory, located on the lakeside Riverstone estate in Foxburg, Pennsylvania, was added onto the historic mansion (built in 1828 by George M. Fox, the founder of the Quaker religion) during a major renovation in 2000. This magnificent room, over 1,000 square feet, has windows on three sides and a cupola on top that “washes the room with daylight.” Imagine, sitting in an overstuffed chair on a late fall day, watching the sunset, reflecting off the lake, mirroring the surrounding fall foliage. For more information, you may want to read Tanglewood’s founder, Alan Stein’s, blog post about the estate and its “most loved and commented on custom conservatory projects” being up for sale in January 2010.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota owners of our fourth conservatory first envisioned a sunroom in which to keep and grow their exotic plant collection, including Hibiscus and varieties of ferns. However, the room has become much more, and now is also used as an intimate gathering place for social functions.

Our fifth and final conservatory uses no artificial light even when the day is overcast. “…antique sconces make it glow like golden amber” in the evenings and on cloudy days. This  addition to a hilltop stone cottage in North Carolina was built “using panes of glass each slightly differing in width.” Imagine viewing the valley below during the transformation of seasons, from summer to fall, and fall to winter. The colors must be spectacular!

We hope you enjoyed perusing HOMEFRONT’s summer 2011 issue as much as we did and that it has given you some ideas for your upcoming conservatory, glasshouse, greenhouse, or orangery project!

Just over two years ago, in June 2009, Alan and Nancy visited Greenhouses, Wintergardens, and Conservatories in Germany. After spending two days in Munich, they traveled over several days by car to Hamburg, stopping along the way to visit companies that build greenhouses and aluminum wintergardens (what conservatories and sunrooms are called in Germany). In his next blog post, Tanglewood Conservatories Presentation and Award in Hamburg, Alan writes about the excitement, surprise and honor he felt when he was unexpectedly presented with membership in the Wintergarten-Fachverband of Germany and Austria. Alan and Nancy are now even more excited to announce that one of Tanglewood’s conservatories is featured on the cover of the “Der Neue Wintergarten Ratgeber” (The New Winter Garden Guide), a publication published by the Wintergarten-Fachverband.

The Wintergarten-Fachverband, founded in 1990, is a group of German and Austrian conservatory manufacturers who dedicate themselves to designing and building conservatories using wood or wood-aluminum. The association adheres to strict quality controls, guidelines and ethics and does not allow just any conservatory or winter garden designer or builder to become a member. Alan is honored to have been chosen to be part of this elite group of conservatory enthusiasts.

The “Der Neue Wintergarten Ratgeber” is a 132-page guide featuring full-color photographs, and descriptions and floor plans of conservatories. The guide also includes quotes from satisfied conservatory owners about their “Traum unter Glas holen” (dream under glass). In more exciting news, the same conservatory that graces the cover of the “Der Neue Wintergarten Ratgeber,” can also be found in the current issue of “Homefront Magazine.”

The conservatory pairs perfectly with its poolside location (see page 21). Imagine taking an early morning dip and then enjoying coffee and breakfast while you read the newspaper in this bright and inviting room. Or sipping wine or mineral water, after a late afternoon swim, while watching the sunset. It is easy to see why this glass house is featured in both publications.

Tanglewood Conservatories is proud to be honored in both ways. We hope you enjoy the honor as much as we do!

The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore. Additional picture gallery.

The Baltimore Sun ran an interesting article by Dennis Hockman on Saturday. In addition to being a columnist for the Sun, Dennis is editor of Chesapeake Home + Living Magazine. His article was about the beautiful historic conservatory in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park and how it was the inspiration for one of Tanglewood’s most popular custom greenhouse designs.

Dennis correctly notes that I visited the Druid Hill Park Conservatory many times when thinking about the design for this particular Tanglewood client. I was searching for an understanding of how to translate the historic conservatory’s gossamer transparency into a modern day construction – one that would adhere to the much more stringent structural requirements that are part of today’s building codes.

The unique aspect of the new conservatory greenhouse design that came for the older structure is the industrial inspired lightweight steel trusses. Their use gave the Tanglewood design team the ability to minimize the usual posts and beams that would be needed to hold up the building and along with the sensual curving glass roof, would make the new building as ethereal as it’s nineteenth century counterpart.

The conservatory in Druid Hill Park is the only remaining of four original grand public conservatories in Baltimore and is a fine example of the American style of engineering these great glass buildings that was begun in Europe in the mid nineteenth century. To have had four of these unique steel and iron conservatory greenhouse buildings built in Baltimore at the time was evidence of the importance of Baltimore as a major American port city and cultural center.

The remaining structure underwent an extensive renovation which began in 1999 and the magnificent building reopened to the public in 2004. It includes displays of Mediterranean, tropical, and desert specimens.

As an architect and designer, one of the most fascinating aspects of my business (and most challenging), is our work to capture the same blend of unique technology and artful composition that characterizes the great conservatories of a hundred years ago. It is one of my professional passions to study the “spirit of inventive genius” that prevailed at the time of the industrial revolution in Europe and led to the development of the building techniques that made the great glass houses of that time possible.

We have devoted a section of the Tanglewood website to cataloging these grand buildings and we use them as inspiration, not mere copies, for many of our unique custom conservatory and greenhouse designs.
The conservatory in Druid Hill Park, formally recognized as the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory, offers us a unique opportunity to see the creative spirit of these great building up close, in our own neighborhood and Tanglewood supports the staff’s efforts to bring a higher level of attention to this local treasure.

However, as Sheila Johnson, Volunteer Coordinator reminds us: “Sadly, the Conservatory is once again facing a financial crisis as the City of Baltimore struggles to balance its budget. Nevertheless, a small but dedicated group of staff and volunteers continues to expand programming to reach out to more people with diverse interests, and to teach environmental, social, and cultural lessons. New classes include Yoga, T’ai Chi, and Plants & People Sunday educational programming. The 3rd annual Art Under Glass show will be held this spring, and a Summer Concert Series will be featured this summer. Students from schools in Baltimore City and surrounding counties visit for tours and planting activities that comply with the State of Maryland’s science curriculum. The Conservatory is a popular venue for weddings and other social functions.”

“Despite many challenges, the Conservatory continues to fulfill its mission to foster an appreciation and understanding of plants from around the world and the vital roles they play in our lives.”
Take the time to stop by and marvel at this wonder of steel, glass and light and the verdant cornucopia of vegetation on display.

As Dennis Hockman remarks: “What has remained constant over the centuries, is the whimsical, magical limbo conservatories have the power to create. A segue to the landscape, an open ceiling to the sky, conservatories seem neither in-doors or out.”

Alan

The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory is located at 3100 Swan Dr. in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, MD 21217 close by to the Baltimore Zoo. It is open Wednesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., closed Mondays & Tuesdays. You can reach them at: (410) 396-0008 or visit their website.

Many people come to Tanglewood Conservatories interested in having us produce not a full conservatory or greenhouse, but a singular dome, cupola, roof lantern or skylight.

Last year, The Financial Times even featured one of our copper domes on their list of possible items to give that special person who already has everything.

Sometimes a conservatory is a larger project than a client want to tackle at the time. Sometimes it is cost, sometimes they just want a small accent for a specific part of their home.

The skylight above is just such a case. The copper and bronze folly mounts atop a pergola that connect two wings of the home. The curved glass dome echoes the heavy timbered brackets on the home and the custom cast bronze finials reflect the architect’s wonderful, fanciful vision.

It is typical of our custom glass and copper domes that each is individually designed- very often using details we’ve made up just for that project. Sometimes, we are trying to invent a look or express a concept in the same way a theater set might be conceived to evoke a feeling for the act.

This custom designed glass dome is built in the same manner as a Tanglewood greenhouse. There is an ornate steel structure exposed on the underside and the glass is finished with copper glazing bar caps. The top of the dome is clad with copper accented with the cast bronze finials.

Though small, a unique project such as this can put our skills to a considerable test! The architect for the home approached us with a loose concept for the glass dome he wanted and then let us develop the design.

Our design staff worked together with him to develop the dome skylight which turned out to be a true original. Of course we also had to consider how the glass dome would mount to the pergola which was to be constructed by the general contractor and to figure out how the new dome could be easily hoisted into place when it arrives on site completely assembled.

Funny enough, I just realized that the shape of this custom skylight dome is a lot like the great conservatory at Lednice which we visited in September and chronicled in my recent blog post “Steel and Glass Conservatories in the Czech Republic”. Hmmmm…

Nancy and I wish everyone a very happy holiday and New Year.

Alan

Leaving Bratislava, we traveled east towards the town of Banská Štiavnica our next destination where we were to look at the site of an interesting conservatory project. Banská Štiavnica is a beautiful small town in the heart of the mining region in central Slovákia. I was told that the hills surrounding the town are an ancient volcanic crater which makes for a very picturesque setting.

On the way we stopped for dinner at Kaštieľ Čereňany where we shared one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Anyone in this region should not miss this excellent restaurant and romantic inn and in fact just by itself it is worth its own trip.

With outstanding chef and owner of Kaštieľ Čereňany.

Enjoying a private toast with friends at Kaštieľ Čereňany.

The town of Banská Štiavnica has a rich history, particularly as a center for the mining technology and education that was so important to this region. It was inscripted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, listed as the Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity.

The designation by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is intended to encourage the protection and preservation of important cultural and natural heritage sites around the world that are considered to be of outstanding value to all of humanity.

Throughout time, Banská Štiavnica was a major destination for many outstanding scientists and engineers who brought it to fame. The old mining-center was built into a major town from its medieval roots with 16th-century churches, Renaissance palaces and elegant urban squares. The surrounding hills contain important items related to its metallurgical and mining past.

This unique heritage is celebrated each year in September with a curiously wonderful festival known as Salamander Days which we were privileged to witness.

This carnival dedicated to the mining and geological tradition has become a popular event throughout Slovákia with area hotels booking up months in advance. The unique name, Salamander Days in fact refers to the culminating processional that ends the festival. A long stream of miners both young and old, dressed in historical costume and waving flags of the various mines, carry lanterns through the town at dusk led by a Chief Shepherd holding a wood lizard that symbolizes the story of the discovery of the mines. Other symbolic characters from mine dwarfs to Judges, prisoners, The Executioner, Rabbi and Death Himself parade behind.

The sight of the lights weaving back and forth through the town streets as the processional moves reminded one of a salamander and the festival was long ago so named.

We stayed in Banská Štiavnica for several days and enjoyed our host’s warm hospitality.

Alan

Another new project involves an interesting design for a second floor conservatory addition to the home of some of our best friends, Molly and Michael.

You might have noticed the frequent mention of Molly and Michael on our website, because in addition to owning one of our favorite Tanglewood conservatories, they are about to embark on an unprecedented FIFTH project with us!

First there was a beautiful lantern over their entry foyer which though initially proposed as a solution to a leak in their roof, became a focal point in the front of their home allowing the sunlight pouring through stained glass windows to light up the wide curved staircase below. This project was accomplished quickly while planning the main addition, the jewel box spa conservatory out in the garden.

That custom conservatory was a unique collaboration with them and the spa enclosure room that resulted, one of our most loved conservatories, was chronicled in the conseratory video about their project.

Molly and Michael were so smitten with Tanglewood’s work by then that during a major renovation to their kitchen, they asked us to turn what was then an odd left over space leading out to a back patio, into a mahogany paneled sitting room with two story mahogany and stained glass windows looking out the their rhododendron gardens.

I admit that I was a bit skeptical that the resulting space which was only ten feet wide, would actually feel like a real room when we finished, but Molly’s vision was right on and the new cozy paneled space, furnished with red leather wingchairs became a perfect parlor, a custom mini conservatory.

Next came a large elaborate gothic window, also mahogany with stained glass, in their upstairs bedroom.

The newest project will be a domed-roof custom conservatory situated off their second floor master bedroom. It will replace an aging and poorly built sunroom that has been an eyesore for years. The room that is adjacent to the new conservatory will get the same mahogany paneling as before and the windows in the new conservatory will feature elaborate mahogany and stained glass patterns as well.

Coupled with the new conservatory room upstairs will be a rather unique bay window in the existing kitchen. It will have a rolled copper roof and base along with mahogany and stained glass windows to match the rest of the work.

Both these new additions are fun projects as their unusual designs will make a huge impact on the appearance and functionality of their home.

I’ll post pictures of these unique conservatories as we progress.

Alan

I hope everyone has had a chance to look at the new video’s we’ve posted in the video section of our site. They are also linked from our Homepage in the area called Latest Video.

The ones titled “A View Inside –
Tanglewood recreates the grand conservatory at Biltmore Estate are very interesting. Part One shows a very unique conservatory project being created in our workshop and Part Two shows the installation of the same custom conservatory on the job site. It gives everyone more of an insight as to how our beautiful conservatories are created.

This particular custom conservatory had as it’s inspiration, the great historic conservatories at the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina. On the estate are several conservatories, the one on the main house which is just off the main entrance hall being the one that the owner of this latest Tanglewood conservatory project fell in love with and wanted Tanglewood to recreate.

The other classic conservatories are in the garden and serve horticultural purposes. These are beautiful steel and glass greenhouses much like many of the other grand conservatories of the age.

The conservatory video titled: “The Design Process-
Working together with clients to create their dream conservatory” is about how our process works with a client when we are designing their conservatory. This is the story of our journey with the owners to create their dream conservatory.

From our first meeting with Molly and Michael, it was clear that theirs would be a most unusual project. They were actually looking for a custom designed greenhouse at first but after visiting Tanglewood’s workshop decided in favor of one of our beautiful mahogany conservatories instead. The custom greenhouse would come later.

I hope everyone takes a look at these videos.

Alan