Is a conservatory the cutting-edge room of the future?

Kirsty Mcluckie reports on clear ideas for the sunniest spot

Adding a conservatory can make a huge difference to a home and how it is used.

A sunny glazed space in which to take in the rays adds to the footprint of the house but also can provide a link between the inside and the outside.

But conservatories also offer the potential to do much more than find a warm spot to sit.

Technological advances mean that these rooms can transform a home and even become a power source, generating energy for the whole building.

Interior experts at Thomas Sanderson, which makes blinds and shutters for conservatories, have produced a report on how advances could improve these spaces even further.

One idea is that the roof of the conservatory could be motorised, allowing it to retract and thus creating an outdoor terrace below should the weather allow.

The report also points to sliding or folding walls which could be further developed for residential buildings. Indeed, the conservatory of the future could feature fully retractable walls, allowing owners to create their own outdoor area, with or without a roof.

Multi-storey conservatories could also become commonplace, with homeowners extending other areas of their home to make the most of the summer sun.

Glass conservatory walls could also double as screens for watching television, playing games or even projecting different landscapes to change the ambience of the room.

While most of us would not think of a conservatory as being the best place to view, because of light reflections, this could be solved with the use of recentlydeveloped organic light-emitting diode – or OLED – screens. These can be embedded into existing glass and are virtually undetectable when switched off.

Self-cleaning glass could also become more commonplace. Such windows are coated with a layer of titanium dioxide, which reacts with sunlight to break down dirt. This prevents rainwater from beading, instead allowing it to flow in a sheet-like fashion, washing away dirt and leaving a streak-free finish.

Conservatories of tomorrow could also become much more ecofriendly, fitted out with specialist guttering to collect rainwater to be fed back into the house. It is thought this could help households reduce their mains water usage by up to 70 per cent.

Similarly, solar-panel technology could be integrated into conservatory blinds to reap the power of the sun.

This could then supply the main house, helping to reduce energy bills.

Transparent solar cells, currently in the early stages of development, could also be embedded into conservatory roofs.

Underfloor heating and cooling systems could essentially self-regulate the temperature.

Finally, edible gardens could become a prominent feature of future conservatories. The supply of rainwater from the roof and abundance of natural light makes these spaces ideal for cultivating a little horticulture, feeding the inhabitants as well as the electricity meter.

It is an interesting picture, transforming what is currently seen as a room to sit and read into the most important aspect of a house.

Perhaps in the future we should not ask what we can do for our conservatories, but what our conservatories can do for us?