Challenge
When the owners of Chanticleer Garden, a popular public garden and estate in Pennsylvania, needed to replace one of their greenhouses, they came to Solar Innovations® to create a modern design with a more spacious layout. After a previous successful greenhouse installation on their campus, Chanticleer knew the Solar Team had the capabilities and innovation to complete another project. The design team worked closely with the owners of Chanticleer to determine exactly what their goals were for this new structure. The new greenhouse would need a large entry to accommodate moving in tables, benches, and shelves, as well as trees, plants and guests. Solar Innovations® designed 12 ft. terrace doors as the main entry to the greenhouse, which created a large access point, but it presented its own visual problem. By integrating such a tall door, the building suddenly loses its sense of scale.
Solution
The doors are so large that the rest of the structure would appear small. The designers worked to create a layout for the façade that would mimic the previous structure and resolve the aestetic issue. Mullions were added to the doors at the same centerline as the site lines which divided the glass in the greenhouse walls. The mullion align perfectly with the bars and create the illusion of a “standard” height door. The door then continues up another 4 ft., aligning its top with the eave vents that help with greenhouse ventilation. With this greenhouse, Solar Innovations® has blended structural and aesthetic elements to fulfill the needs and desires of the customer’s vision.