Aylburton Lodge

This scheme gives a facelift to this large Victorian house by removing dilapidated mid-20th century additions (a glazed front porch and conservatory to the side) with a stone built neoclassical front porch and orangery complemented by new terracing and steps, thus creating a dramatic entrance and outside spaces benefitting from the views away from the house towards the Severn Estuary.

The orangery is designed as a perfect square with a pyramidal glazed roof flooding the room with light; semi-circular arched openings with French doors and windows give access to the terrace and a large fireplace with wood burning stove provides a focus to the room.

The light coloured smooth stone floor combined with glazing down to floor level allows light to be reflected deep into the plan, thus contributing to the lightness and airiness of the room.  The simple arched opening conceals a complex in-situ concrete ring beam necessary to loads imposed by the roof onto relatively small piers.  The internal dimensions of the room are 8m x 8m.

The orangery has high levels of insulation in the walls, floor and roof with underfloor heating below the stone floor.

The ashlar stone work is locally quarried and worked blue Forest of Dean Pennant sandstone; blue for the ashlar work, red for the rubble stonework and cream/brown for paving.