Forest Bathing in style
For anyone currently craving the big outdoors, how about a forest-bathing garden room? Uber-popular with 'pinners' and bloggers alike – this Finnish glasshouse seems to really capture the imagination and not just because of its magical location in the forests of Finland.
Stunning in its simplicity, the design was commissioned by Finnish retailer Kekkilä Oy for their Home & Garden collection in 2010 and won the Fennia ‘Garden Product of the Year’ design award in 2012. Sadly, it is no longer available to buy and there are no plans to re-issue it. [Updated information courtesy of the original architect, the lovely Ville Hara of Avanto Architects in Helsinki.]
However, there are several suppliers out there who might be able to make one for you that is similar in both concept and look & feel (try Hartley Botanic). Do though, use a company with plenty of glazing experience. Using this much glass takes real skill to ensure it is water-tight, especially important if you are intending to use it more as a room and less as a greenhouse for growing plants (dedicated greenhouses are not specifically designed to keep water out.) The usual staging and shelving normally seen in greenhouses has been taken out in this model, although they were available in the original version.
The pitch on this particular building was designed to keep the snow off – not so much of an issue in the UK – but the height is definitely over 2.5 metres so a similar building will need planning permission unless you can position it at least two metres from a legal boundary. In Nordic countries, transforming a glasshouse into a living or entertainment space is endemic.
Glasshouses like this allow for an immersive experience known as ‘forest bathing’ although I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to sleep here on my own. In a reincarnation of this design, I can imagine an internal door to connect the storage area with the glasshouse without needing to walk outside. With shelves to one side.
The greenhouse-shed seen in these images belongs to designer Linda Bergroth who customised the design by adding a wooden floor to create the ‘room’. Solar panels provide power for light and a simple life is maintained by using the storage shed to the rear (I can imagine an interior door in future designs). The cladding is Finnish pine stained black and automatic roof vents assist with internal temperature control.
The shed part to the rear has wide, fully-opening double doors in the rear storage part were inspired by the old multi-layered sewing/tool boxes and mean that everything can be seen in one glance.
Hartley Botanic had a stunning, bespoke glasshouse ‘room’ on display at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2019, styled as an artist’s studio. Called the ‘Magnum Opus’ Glasshouse it had a pitched rather than an apex roof but it had the same inviting look as the Kekkilä greenhouse. Produced in their ‘Manganese Graphite’ dark grey, they can also produce it in a matt black (RAL 9004) or even Bronze. Now, that would be the ultimate garden room.
LINKS & CREDITS
📷 Images of Linda Bergroth’s cabin by Arsi Ikäheimonen
📷 Image of Hartley Botanic’s bespoke glasshouse at CFS by @shedgurulondon
[The images in this article can be found on Shed Guru's Pinterest Board: Garden Rooms: Section: Kekkilä Greenhouse Shed.]
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With many thanks to Ville Hara and Linda Bergroth
