Wierton Cottage

A contemporary garden room to a Grade II listed building.

Wierton Cottage is a grade II listed oak framed house with brick and weather boarded cladding overlooking the Weald of Kent with extensive views across to Cranbrook, Goudhurst and the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The client asked us to design a highly insulated garden room to replace an existing conservatory, that could be used all year that still retained large areas of glazing framing the long south facing views. The extension is clad in reclaimed red bricks that match parts of the existing building and adds to the patchwork of materials used by the Victorians. As keen gardeners the clients welcomed the idea of a sedum planted roof to encourages wildlife and provide a pleasing fifth elevation when viewed from elevated areas of the steeply sloping garden. A pyramidal glass roof light adds visual interest to the extension and provides a contemporary addition to the roof scape, contrasting with the steeply pitched Kent peg tiled roof and shallow pitched slate roof of the Victorian extension. The triple glazing maximises the natural light and minimises heat loss allowing delicate plants to survive the winter.