Stokesbury Community center

When meeting with the client in the beginning, they showed interest in the design of old British country manors, however, we felt that the scale of the building was too small to draw inspiration from an entire manor. Instead, we decided to focus on a small part of these homes, the orangery. Initially used for growing citrus in cold climates during the winter, the orangery evolved to be used as an attached sunroom in a manor for the inhabitants to relax in during the day. The design of these varies from the large orangeries of the palaces in England and France, to the smaller bolt on orangeries we see in some homes today. These sketches reflect the three main design ideas we presented to the client.

The first of the three options was selected by the client, and we iterated upon that to get to the design we have now. We used a combination of roof shakes to give a more historic feel to the roof and added green entrances at the front and back of the building to mimic the bolt-on orangeries that define its look. The details, like the ornate window frames and vintage-style lighting, complete the design, giving the building its charming, historic feel. We are thrilled with how these elements came together to create a space that feels both timeless and inviting.

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