A timber-clad garden room with glass doors in a back garden, beside a house with a covered patio
Design InspirationGarden Studios

How Do I Choose The Best Orientation For My Garden Room?

When choosing the orientation for your garden room, there are a few factors to consider to ensure that it will be a functional and comfortable space.

1. Sunlight

Think about the path of the sun and the orientation of the rear of your garden. Take the opportunity to stand in your garden at different times of the day when the sun is out (not always easy in cloudy Ireland!). If you want your Garden Room to be drenched in sunshine and light, a south orientation of the primary elevation is best (wall with most of the glazing). However, if you want to use the space as an office or a place to work, you’ll need to be careful of too much light, glare and overheating. North or off North orientations work best here.

A white rendered building with a tiled pitched roof and glass doors, used as a home gym

2. Privacy

Consider whether you want the garden room to be a private space or a more open, connected space. If you want privacy, you may want to orient the garden room with glazing back into your own property, so it isn’t overlooked by neighbouring properties. If you are using it as a more open space with outdoor living aspects, then proximity to the house is helpful (to get to the fridge or wine rack).

3. Views

Think about whether there are any particularly nice views that you want to take advantage of from the garden room. For example, if you have a nice view of the sunset to the west, you may want to orient the garden room to face that direction. You may have a tree or shrub you love to look at. Keep this in mind when choosing a location.

A garden room at the end of a long lawn, behind a mature tree, lit at dusk

4. Climate and Temperature

The best orientation in Ireland is also where our prevailing weather comes from. So if you have the benefit of orientating your Garden Room to optmise the south and west orientation, bear in mind that you will also get more wind and rain coming from this direction.

A garden room with a covered timber deck, an outdoor stove and sliding glass doors, at dusk

Overall, the key is to think about how you want to use the space and orient it accordingly to make the most of the natural light, views, and privacy. Depending on where you plan to put your Garden Room, or how you want it to look in your garden, you have the option to have a left or right orientation to ensure it nestles well into your particular space.

A premium Shomera house extension lit at dusk

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