Rough Brothers' Conservatories

Founded in 1932, Rough Brothers’ original business focus was greenhouse maintenance and repair. But, things are far different today. Company growth has been steady in recent years as the breadth of Rough Brothers’ services and products has far exceeded what the original five ‘Rough’ brothers could have ever imagined.

RBI Conservatory Design

Today Rough Brothers and its sister companies cover the greenhouse & conservatory industry from one end to the other with specialized internal teams focused on different segments of the overall industry.


The Conservatory Division at Rough Brothers represents one of these internal teams. Although overall project responsibility rests with a single Rough Brothers’ project manager, there is an equally talented and experienced group of people right behind that project manager who help insure the success of every project. These dedicated individuals represent a variety of disciplines from design & engineering, through botany & systems integration to manufacturing & construction.

Needless to say, much of Rough Brothers Conservatory Division’s success is directly attributable to the APGA and its member Gardens. Of similar importance is Rough Brothers’ continued design emphasis on performance over “looks”. Rough Brothers always strives to have your final conservatory design blend with the architectural intent or theme of the gardens, but more importantly always allow for a world class plant & plant exhibit facility. Accordingly, Rough Brother’s role in the early design stages of any conservatory has become more and more beneficial to the project’s overall success.

RBI Conservatory Design

People often ask, “What is the difference between a greenhouse and a conservatory?” Probably many answers to that question, but Rough Brothers sees the key difference being: greenhouses are for plants; conservatories are for plants and people. No matter how complex the design, the real challenge is to create an environment that allows the plant life to flourish, but also provides a comfortable experience for the patron. Achieve these two performance aspects and deliver them in a fashion that is both energy efficient and maximizes the facility’s service life; and expectations are you will have a hugely successful project.

No single component or feature insures a fully operational conservatory. Whether “period restoration” or new “out-of-the-ground construction”, a myriad of conservatory design factors come into play. The end run is to balance the proper light level, air-movement, humidity and temperature control in a straight forward and easy to operate manner. To achieve the desired growing & exhibit space, each project calls for a unique combination of structure, glazing materials, conservatory equipment and systems integration. By working closely with the Garden’s design team, this is what Rough Brothers enthusiastically and proudly delivers.

Take a moment to visit Rough Brothers at their website or visit the corporate office and manufacturing facility in Cincinnati, Ohio.  For more information please contact Pat Long (513) 618-7262.