Orangery builders

What makes an orangery different

An orangery sits between a conservatory and a full extension. Where a conservatory is mostly glass, an orangery has solid brick pillars or piers at the corners and along the sides, a flat roof around the edge, and a glazed roof lantern in the middle that floods the room with light. The result feels much more like a proper room: it has a real ceiling, it holds heat far better than a conservatory, and the brickwork ties it to the house.

That solid structure is why orangeries suit people who want a light garden room they can use all year, rather than a space that is too hot in summer and too cold in winter.

How an orangery is built

The build starts like any extension: foundations sized for the ground, then the brick base walls and pillars, tied into the house. The flat roof is built as an insulated warm deck, and the lantern sits on a structural upstand in the middle. Large doors, often bi-fold or sliding, usually fill the openings between the pillars on the garden side.

Because the roof is flat with a lantern rather than fully glazed, the brickwork, roof structure and weathering details have to be right. We are bricklayers first, so the masonry match to the house, the parapet or fascia line and the junction with the existing wall get proper attention.

Planning permission and Building Regulations

An orangery is treated as an extension in planning terms, not as a conservatory. Many single-storey rear orangeries fall within permitted development limits, but size, height, distance from boundaries and local designations such as conservation areas all affect that. Building Regulations apply as they do to any extension, covering structure, insulation, glazing and electrics. We talk through what applies to your house at the site visit.

Heating, light and year-round use

The insulated flat roof and solid walls make an orangery far easier to heat than a conservatory, and the lantern gives overhead light without the heat loss of a fully glazed roof. Underfloor heating or extended radiators, good glazing and proper ventilation turn it into a room you use every day. Getting the specification right at the start is much cheaper than trying to warm up a cold room afterwards.

Design choices that shape the room

The lantern is the centrepiece. Its size and position decide how the light falls, and slim frames give a cleaner look than chunky ones. Around it, the flat roof can be finished with a parapet that hides the roofline behind brick, or with a fascia and gutter for a simpler outline. Brick choice for the pillars and base walls matters as much as on any extension: matching the house makes the orangery look original, while a contrasting brick can work as a deliberate feature.

Inside, the ceiling perimeter around the lantern is a natural place for downlights, and the solid walls take radiators, shelving and kitchen units in a way a conservatory never can. Deciding how you will use the room, dining, sitting or kitchen, before the design is settled avoids compromises later.

Orangery or extension?

If you want maximum light and a strong connection to the garden, an orangery gives more glass than a conventional extension while keeping a solid, insulated structure. If you want a room that reads as a seamless continuation of the house, a pitched-roof extension may suit better. Our house extensions page covers that route, and we are happy to talk through both at a free site visit.