Addition Gives This Family a Living Room in a Glass Conservatory
Who says you can’t enjoy indoor-outdoor living in cold climates? This Danish conservatory is bright and cozy year-round
Architect Rasmus Jensen was asked to give this Danish home a different kind of living room: a glass conservatory, with a fireplace, that can serve as a cozy haven throughout the year. In planning the addition, Jensen took into consideration the home’s period aesthetic as well as heat retention, sustainable materials and, of course, the owners’ comfort. The resulting space fits into its surroundings and brings light and a touch of indoor-outdoor living to this northern home.
Jensen built the addition in 2017. It cost about $94,000, half of which was spent on the glasswork, which was done by Drivadan.
The bare steel beams that support the structure were neither embellished nor painted. “They are a good match to the raw bricks,” Jensen says. “They develop a nice patina, getting only the more beautiful with use.”
The conservatory’s masonry consists of recycled bricks from Gamle Mursten. The bricks come from demolition jobs and are cleaned and resold.
The old bricks match the style of the house and its yellowish tones. “Secondhand bricks cost a little more than the most affordable new ones, but if you go for a higher price range and pay about [$1.50] per brick, you can have much more life and soul in your building. It’s also good for the environment to recycle bricks instead of spending resources and energy on making new ones,” says Jensen, who also designs low-energy houses.
The bare steel beams that support the structure were neither embellished nor painted. “They are a good match to the raw bricks,” Jensen says. “They develop a nice patina, getting only the more beautiful with use.”
The conservatory’s masonry consists of recycled bricks from Gamle Mursten. The bricks come from demolition jobs and are cleaned and resold.
The old bricks match the style of the house and its yellowish tones. “Secondhand bricks cost a little more than the most affordable new ones, but if you go for a higher price range and pay about [$1.50] per brick, you can have much more life and soul in your building. It’s also good for the environment to recycle bricks instead of spending resources and energy on making new ones,” says Jensen, who also designs low-energy houses.
The glass roof is about 14 feet high. At the top is a natural ventilation system that allows warm air to escape.
The owners chose a concrete floor for its robustness, heat retention and resistance to water and dirt. It is glossy and waxed, so it’s easier to keep clean. Black pigment mixed into the concrete yielded this darker shade, which contrasts nicely with the bright conservatory walls.
5 Benefits to Concrete Floors for Everyday Living
The owners chose a concrete floor for its robustness, heat retention and resistance to water and dirt. It is glossy and waxed, so it’s easier to keep clean. Black pigment mixed into the concrete yielded this darker shade, which contrasts nicely with the bright conservatory walls.
5 Benefits to Concrete Floors for Everyday Living
The conservatory is furnished in Nordic style. Over the fireplace are vertical bricks with slots in between, which supply the fire with air — and look great too.
A dining table and chairs are on one side of a wide chimney. The oak table was custom-made and matches the solid oak flooring in the main house.
The conservatory is decorated with a few midsize Mediterranean plants, and there is room for smaller potted plants on top of the brick wall.
The conservatory is decorated with a few midsize Mediterranean plants, and there is room for smaller potted plants on top of the brick wall.
Home additions often steal daylight from the adjoining rooms, but that was not the case here. “There used to be a terrace door with two separate windows here. It was replaced with a three-panel folding door, which lets more light into the living room,” Jensen says.
The folding door can be pushed to the side to merge the house and the addition. Through the opening, heat from the conservatory enters the house. On a sunny day in March or October, the conservatory’s glass, bricks and concrete floor accumulate heat and release it when it gets cold later in the day. The living room was refurbished after the conservatory was built so that it could double as a passageway.
The folding door can be pushed to the side to merge the house and the addition. Through the opening, heat from the conservatory enters the house. On a sunny day in March or October, the conservatory’s glass, bricks and concrete floor accumulate heat and release it when it gets cold later in the day. The living room was refurbished after the conservatory was built so that it could double as a passageway.
The height of the conservatory was carefully calculated to stop just short of the second-floor windows. For the sake of privacy, the brick is more extensive on the side that’s more visible from neighboring houses. Two doors produce a functional flow in the space: One is next to the raised wooden deck; the other leads to the yard.
The deck has weatherproof hardwood steps that double as seats. The smaller steps can be moved or stacked to rearrange the layout.
The same weatherproof hardwood was used for the conservatory staircase. Although it is hard to see in this photo, there is a tempered glass floor in front of the white-framed folding doors to the deck. This brings daylight into the basement.
The deck has weatherproof hardwood steps that double as seats. The smaller steps can be moved or stacked to rearrange the layout.
The same weatherproof hardwood was used for the conservatory staircase. Although it is hard to see in this photo, there is a tempered glass floor in front of the white-framed folding doors to the deck. This brings daylight into the basement.
For those interested in building a conservatory, Jensen says that 175 to 195 square feet would be more than enough. However, building a larger space is not much more expensive, as labor and startup costs are the biggest investment.
He also notes that conservatories made of recycled glass are popular and that using old windows or building materials can make the project even easier to implement. However, finding them can be a challenge — in this case, Jensen was unable to find vintage windows that fit the building’s aesthetic.
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He also notes that conservatories made of recycled glass are popular and that using old windows or building materials can make the project even easier to implement. However, finding them can be a challenge — in this case, Jensen was unable to find vintage windows that fit the building’s aesthetic.
More
Read other stories about additions
Find an architect near you
Browse living room products
Addition at a Glance
Who lives here: A family
Location: Vodskov, Denmark
Size: 377 square feet (35 square meters)
Architect: Rasmus Jensen of Arkitekt MAA
This house in the north of Denmark dates to 1947. “It’s a nice house from a period when homes were built with proper materials, and things were moving in a modern direction, focusing on functionality. I chose this same direction for the conservatory,” Jensen says.
When the owners renovated the house a few years ago, they knew they wanted some kind of living room addition. Inspiration for the conservatory came from Danish celebrity designer Søren Vester, who showed his own conservatory on the popular TV show Vesters Verden (Danish for “Vester’s world”).