For over 25 years, Mercer Bertsche Vernott Architecture has used their expertise to create residential architecture for beautiful homes and additions for clients who value the historical perspective and attention to detail that they bring to each project. But designing a conservatory was a new kind of project for them at the time and we were able to work alongside them to create a fitting addition for their client.
Working Together
When we first spoke with Bill Bertsche about the project, we knew we were working towards a common goal:
DESIGN for the client. SOLVE their problem. CREATE beautiful residential architecture.
The family dreamed of building a TRADITIONALLY INSPIRED CONSERVATORY filled with classic, craft-woodworking details. With years of experience, Bill knew that developing a design that flawlessly blends the new work with the existing elements of the home would be a critical task.
He said, “…whether working on a historic home or starting from scratch, you’re trying to work within the context of history to find solutions that the owner admires and blend them with the existing home. You try to bring the best residential architecture to their lifestyle… But there are few architects that have the experience required to design and detail a true conservatory. You could approach it as a stick-built room, could make a frame and put in glass and windows, but you’d miss the essence of what a great conservatory should be – glass and light.”
The amount of knowledge and craftsmanship required to research, design and detail a true conservatory takes a great deal of time to acquire. After reviewing Bill’s initial conceptual design, we could see the direction he and his client wanted and were able to use our expertise in historic conservatory architecture to add in some additional custom elements to tie everything together; creating a unique work of art.
“We Learn Something Every Year”
As Bill says, “We learn something every year”. In both Bill and Tanglewood’s experience, we have learned that one of the most important keys to success is to welcome the opportunity to learn. While working on this project, we learned how we can be more helpful to architects by combining a deep respect for their design direction with our years of narrowly-focused, conservatory-specific experience.
Bill explained, “…not only is Tanglewood a great design partner for conservatory projects, but they also make other stand-alone architectural pieces such as the GLASS CUPOLA we used on this project which we could have used on a number of projects over the years…”.
What Will Your Next Project Be?
We are always looking forward to learning new ideas and collaborating alongside other design professionals. The best part of a collaboration is when we can sit down together, put pencil to paper, and dig into the true essence of conservatories to create the perfect design that reflects your client’s vision and lifestyle.