Winter gardens

Winter gardens

Winter gardens are a real expansion of the house outwards. This is a space that melts with the landscape around, one where the domestic environments meet the scenery they are surrounded by. To be sure, these are often spaces that are annexed to the house at a later stage; this is the reason why their structural characteristics are normally different from the materials and compositions used for the house itself. Also known as Wintergarten or solar greenhouse, this space can be both used as a garden or as a part of the veranda or solarium. To set up a winter garden it is possible to exploit an existing terrace and cover it with a specific transparent structure; it is also possible to build a new annex next to the house. There are a host of architectural and design solutions. Furthermore, it is worth to keep in mind that aside from adding a refined touch to the house and expanding the living space, a winter garden also enables to save energy.

Types of winter gardens

Winter gardens are of different typologies. A first distinguishing factor among them is the temperature reached inside. A cool winter garden, for instance, can keep the temperature stable at around 10-12° and is used to grow plants that do not need a particularly hot climate. In lukewarm winter gardens the temperature is higher and can also reach 19°, the perfect environment for plants that do not stand the cold. None of the two is suitable for living, what is instead the case for warm winter gardens, where a comfortable temperature is guaranteed for people to live therein. Such spaces can show even utterly different designs and architecture styles. If a winter garden is exclusively thought to grow plants, most probably it will be fitted with elements and structures that are functional to gardening and the tools required for such an activity; one conceived for relaxation, will distinguish itself for the furniture and the style chosen to shape a comfortable ambience.

Winter gardens materials

As for the structure, winter gardens are generally made of glass and metal, with warm winter gardens featuring fixtures in thermal cut to better insulate the space. Alternatively, the frame can be made of wood or aluminum. The space can also have heating system, by either exploiting that of the house or installing a separate one. However, the structures of winter gardens can also be made of iron, aluminum, PVC and wood enclosed in fixed glasses and sliding panels. When planning a winter garden it is important to choose a model with a flexible design that matches the style of the house. The market offers a variety of solutions and materials to choose from, including products with a contemporary style and more classic and traditional designs. Iron winter gardens are a guarantee of solidity and durability and go basically with any style. Iron and glass winter gardens are especially popular in their simplest, as well as most elaborated variants. Winter gardens in PVC can be used both as “cool” and “warm” winter gardens. In very hot areas, the tendency is to prefer wood winter gardens to prevent overheating. A winter garden opens up to a large array of architectonic styles; from the “traditional” use exclusively centered on plant growing, too a space that is apt to be fully furnished and transformed into a relax area or a space where to practice a hobby, for instance. The wide glass sheets are of absolute beauty and inspire architects to look at winter gardens also as an alternative to expand public spaces, hotels and restaurants.

The perfect winter garden for any house

When choosing the winter garden on the basis of personal preferences and needs, it is important to also take a look at certain project-specific characteristics, to secure the benefits linked to energy efficiency. For instance, the garden exposition is always to be thought out so to make the best use of the sunlight. It is not a case winter gardens are generally oriented facing south and therefore equipped with sun-shades and other shading in order to limit the amount of sunlight entering. The heat stocked inside the winter garden is afterwards used to reduce the energy needed to heat up the house, resulting in smaller charges and energy used. In order to obtain an ideal temperature, in the design phase it is capital to pay attention to the insulating materials to be used, as glass surfaces are interested by high dispersion. The purpose is to reduce thermal dispersion to a minimum and configure a space that can be used as in summer as in winter time. Choosing the right glass is therefore of utmost importance, as it needs to guarantee maximum sun catching in winter time and limit the risk of overheating during summer. The structure also needs to have a good sound insulation; as for the floor, it has to be well done not to have troubles while installing the structure. The surface needs to be sloped so for the water to drain properly. Eventually, any structure needs to be correctly ventilated so to prevent the winter garden to become a greenhouse and cause humidity, condensation and molds.