The Greenhouse Which Grows Legs
Subscribe now to instantly view this image
Subscribe to the Architects’ Journal (AJ) for instant access to the AJ Buildings Library, an online database of nearly 2,000 exemplar buildings in photographs, plans, elevations and details.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
BAT Studio (website) Download Original
A greenhouse which can be lifted off the ground to protect it from flooding.
Constructed in an area which experiences frequent flooding, the Greenhouse Which Grows Legs incorporates a novel approach to flood protection. The building is fabricated on a bespoke steel frame with four hydraulic legs, capable of lifting the building 800mm from the ground on command.
The structure of the building itself is formed from glue laminated timber sections. Along the building’s most prominent facade, the ‘glulam’ columns are expressed externally and have mirrors bonded to their sides. The result is an ambiguous visual effect which blurs the building, its contents and its surroundings. As the building becomes established and filled with plants we hope this effect will become better and better.
The aim was to construct an experimental building exploring a novel approach to flood defence whilst not compromising the quality of the buildings design. It is a Greenhouse Which Grows Legs - but we think it’s also a very nice greenhouse!
Data
- Begun: Oct 2015
- Completed: Nov 2015
- Floor area: 29m2
- Sector: Residential
- Total cost: £45,000
- Funding: Private
- Tender date: Sep 2015
- Procurement: Bespoke
- Address: Roxana, Friary Island, Wraysbury, Staines-upon-Thames, TW19 5JS, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: BAT Studio
- Project architects: BAT Studio, Between Art and Technology Studio
- Client: Private
- Structural consultant: Constant Structural Design ltd
- Contractor: BAT Studio
- Specialist Steelwork: JD Mills Engineering
