The Most Important Difference Between a Conservatory and an Orangery

What is a conservatory?

A conservatory is an extension on a property featuring a glass roof which usually covers at least 75% of the roof area, and at least 50% of the wall area is glass.
A conservatory is a home extension with a glass roof often covering at least 75% of the overall roof area, and glass walls covering at least 50% of the overall wall area.
A conservatory is an extension of a property featuring a glass roof and walls covered in glass.
A conservatory is a home extension with a glass roof often covering at least 75% of the overall roof area, and glass walls covering at least 50% of the overall wall area.

What is an orangery?

An orangery is a home extension with a brick structure, a flat roof with a glass center, and large windows.
The materials and design differ in many ways from a standard conservatory.
Orangery roofs usually take up less than 75% of the roof area and less than 50% of the glass installed in the walls, making them an efficient use of space.
An orangery is a home extension with a brick structure, a flat roof with a glass center, and large windows.
The materials used and the design differ in many ways.
An orangery usually takes up less than 75% of the roof area and less than 50% of the glass installed in the walls.

What are the similarities and differences between a conservatory and an orangery?

1. Conservatories vs Orangeries: What are the similarities?

There are several similarities between conservatories and orangeries. Both are built on a solid concrete foundation, with a brick base in orangeries and a flat roof in conservatories. In addition, both have glass lanterns at the center of their roofs. However, there are also several important differences between the two structures. Conservatories are usually larger than orangeries, and they have pitched roofs while orangeries typically have flat roofs.

The conservatory and orangery both have a solid concrete foundation, but orangeries have a brick base while conservatories have floor-to-roof frames. They are both constructed with a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern.

2. Conservatories vs Orangeries: What are the differences?

Both conservatories and orangeries are built on a solid concrete foundation.
Orangeries have a brick base while conservatories have floor-to-roof frames.
Orangeries are also constructed with a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern, while most conservatories have pitched glazed roofs.
Both conservatories and orangeries are built on a solid concrete foundation.
Orangeries have a brick base while conservatories have floor-to-roof frames.
Conservatories have pitched glazed roofs, while orangeries have a flat perimeter roof with a central glass lantern.

3. Conservatories vs Orangeries: What is the difference in price?

Conservatories are cheaper to build than orangeries.
Conservatories can range in price from £15,000 to £35,000 – 4000 x 5000 in wood, uPVC, or aluminum while an orangery could cost anywhere between £15,000 and £45,000 to build.
While generally more expensive than conservatories, orangeries can add more resale value to the home and more versatile space use.
Conservatories are cheaper to build than orangeries, which can range in price from £15,000 to £45,000.
Conservatories have more solid walls than orangeries and are more complex to build.
A fully fitted conservatory can range in price from £15,000 to £35,000 – 4000 x 5000 in wood, uPVC, or aluminum; a basic uPVC conservatory could cost £5,000 while an orangery could cost anywhere between £15,000 and £45,000 to build.

4. Conservatories vs Orangeries: What is the difference in size?

Both conservatories and orangeries are built on a solid concrete foundation.
Conservatories have floor-to-roof frames, while orangeries have brick bases.
Orangeries have a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern, while most conservatories have pitched glazed roofs.
If your structure contains less than 75% glass in the roof structure and less than 50% glass in the wall structure, you have an orangery.
If your structure contains more than 75% glass in the roof structure and less than 50% glass in the wall structure, you have a conservatory.”
Both conservatories and orangeries are built with a solid concrete foundation, but orangeries have a brick base while conservatories have floor-to-roof frames.
Orangeries have a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern, while most conservatories have pitched glazed roofs.
Glass-to-other-materials ratio in the structure dictates whether the building is an orangery or a conservatory.
Conservatories are typically larger than orangeries, as they contain more glass in the roof structure and less glass in the wall structure

5. Conservatories vs Orangeries: What is the difference in structure?

A conservatory is a type of building designed to conserve natural light while an orangery is a type of building designed to produce a lot of natural light.
A conservatory has a brick base, while an orangery has floor-to-roof frames.
Orangeries are constructed with a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern, while most conservatories have pitched glazed roofs.
Conservatories and orangeries have different glass-to-other-materials ratios in the structure, with orangery having less than 50% glass in the wall structure and more than 50% glass in the roof structure.
Conservatories are built on a solid concrete foundation while orangeries have a brick base.
Orangeries are constructed with a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern, while most conservatories have pitched glazed roofs.
Conservatories and orangeries both have similarities in their construction – they’re both built on a solid concrete foundation with floor-to-roof frames, but conservatories also have a brick base.

6. Conservatories vs Orangeries: What is the difference in style?

Both conservatories and orangeries are built on a solid concrete foundation.
Orangeries are constructed with a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern, while most conservatories have pitched glazed roofs.
Conservatories were originally built for horticulture and have since become a beautiful extension of the home.
They both have a solid concrete foundation and frame, with a central glass lantern on the Orangerie roof.
They are both used for horticulture, but an orangery is built with a brick base and pitched glazed roof, while conservatories have floor-to-roof frames.
On the face of it, they seem to be very similar – both were originally built for horticulture and have since become beautiful extensions for the home.

7. Conservatories vs Orangeries: What is the difference in the roof?

Both conservatories and orangeries are built on a solid concrete foundation, however, orangeries have a brick base while conservatories have floor-to-roof frames.
Orangeries are also constructed with a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern, while most conservatories have pitched glazed roofs.
Glass-to-other-materials ratio in the structure is the main difference between the two types of structures; if your structure contains less than 75% glass in the roof structure and less than 50% glass in the wall structure, you have an orangery.
If your structure contains more than 75% glass in the roof structure and less than 50% glass in the wall structure, you have a conservatory.”

8. Conservatories vs Orangeries: What is the difference in walls?

The main difference in construction between the two structures is the base and the roof.
Conservatories are built on a solid concrete foundation, while orangeries have a brick base.
Orangeries are also constructed with a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern, while most conservatories have pitched glazed roofs.
Conservatories and orangeries are both built with a solid concrete foundation, but orangeries have a brick base while conservatories have floor-to-roof frames.
Conservatories are also constructed with a flat perimeter roof that has a central glass lantern, while most conservatories have pitched glazed roofs.
The glass-to-other-materials ratio in the structure is the main difference between the two structures.

9. Conservatories vs Orangeries: What is the difference in the roof?

Both conservatories and orangeries are built on a solid concrete foundation with floor-to-roof frames.
The main difference in construction between the two structures is the base and the roof.
If your structure contains less than 75% glass in the roof structure and less than 50% glass in the wall structure, you have an orangery.
If your structure contains more than 75% glass in the roof structure and less than 50% glass in the wall structure, you have a conservatory.

When Does a Conservatory Become an Orangery?

Conservatories can be converted to orangeries, and while this is generally accepted, make sure you hire a professional to do it correctly.
Conservatories were created as a by-product of Orangeries – the differentiation being that they were more for the protection of shrubs and herb plants than fruit.
Conservatories tended to be built as an attachment to the home, while that wasn’t necessarily the case with an Orangery, which could be its own supporting structure elsewhere within a garden.
The conservatory is now used as an additional living space, which includes a greenhouse and other tropical plants.