There are subtle design tricks that designers can incorporate to ensure their garden rooms are cool places to be on hot days. Design elements that offer natural shading within the room are essential, particularly with the heat waves we are experiencing these days. With their Ruthven range, Bridge Garden Rooms have designed in natural shading solutions which are not only practical but look good too.
We explored the Ruthven range last year when Bridge Garden Rooms launched it. It is a highly insulated garden room built with SIP's panels. A key feature of the Ruthven design is the sliding sun screen that can be positioned anywhere along the front elevation, diffusing the light entering the room.
This recent project by Bridge Garden Rooms is based on the Ruthven design. Bridge Garden Rooms customers have chosen to focus the main glazing on the right-hand corner of the building. Sliding doors have been mixed with a full-height window to create a wrap-around glazing section. There is another tall window on the left hand elevation.
As we can see, the doors have been recessed back from the front elevation, creating a porch area. This porch makes a welcoming entrance, but the deep roof canopy will offer an element of natural shading for the glazing. When the sun is at its highest in the summer, the deep canopy will break its path into the room.
A key feature of the Ruthven range is its sliding sun shade. In these photos, the screen is positioned in its closed position, lapping the cladding on a solid section of the wall. The screen is fitted on a sliding door mechanism, so the owners can pull it along in front of the sliding doors to offer shade or privacy when required. The fins will break the passage of hot sunlight into the room.
We are impressed by how chunky the screen is; some of the sun screens we have seen used in garden room design are quite flimsy. The thick timbers that Bridge Garden Rooms have used give the screen solidity and strength when moving it around.
A mix of cladding finishes
Bridge Garden Rooms offer a range of exterior cladding options for you to choose from, and you can mix and match them if you wish. In this case, timber cladding has been mixed with composite wood cladding.
Learn more about the Ruthen range here, or chat with the friendly Bridge team on 01422 832 863. You can also email them at info@bridgetimber.com
