As always, details (some seen, some hidden) make the difference. Here,
copper-clad panels highlight the unique form of the roof structure while con-
cealing the steel bracing system within.
T
his grand custom conservatory, located on a large lakeside estate,
merges effortlessly with the original structure. The standing seam
copper roof supports a glass cupola that washes the room with
daylight. Custom-designed eave brackets that reinterpret those of
the main house are artistically decorated.
An immense room over 1,000 square feet in size and some twenty-four feet tall,
the conservatory design appears appropriate in scale because of the skillful way
its size is broken into smaller elements while at the same time respecting the
scale of the whole.On the interior, the room was divided into a foyer and a main
living space with the two areas separated by interior columns and a change
in the roof/ceiling design. The complex geometry of the roof helps de-emphasize
the room's boxy shape.
Deep, rich earth tones warm this charming
and intimate interior while potted palms, a
wagon-wheel flower cart filled with red and
yellow blossoms, and a cobalt blue peacock
on a gnarled tree branch add splashes of color.
The foundation for this conservatory room
was already in place prior to the start of
the design work and the owners were
concerned that this would limit Tanglewood's
creative ability. To enhance the indoor-
outdoor character of the room, a matching
gazebo was designed and built to sit on the
opposite bank of the lake.
Facing the lakeside conservatory, the
matching gazebo is used to draw
one's attention from inside the room out into
the surrounding landscape. The forms of
the two structures are sculpturally related
through their geometry. The custom conserva-
tory is a rectangular building with
an octagonal cupola whereas the gazebo is an
octagonal structure with a square cupola.
The homeowners were very concerned that with such a large amount of glass, the
conservatory would be difficult to heat and cool. The solution to this challenge was
to make the lower portion of the conservatory roof out of "solid" stress-skin panels
instead of glass. The panels were clad with standing seam copper on the exterior
and mahogany board on the interior.Stained glass panels featuring hand-painted
images of local wildflowers adorn the transom windows.
