A Gorgeous Greenhouse Heals a Family
Last Updated: Mar 17, 2025Plants are something we are naturally drawn to one recent study revealed that about half of all Americans have gardened within the past year. While only a few people actually own a greenhouse, building a small greenhouse or hoop house is a simple DIY project that almost any homeowner can do. RISE recently sat down to talk with Megan Vaughan (once part of the 50 percent who did not garden) to learn about her process of dreaming, planning, building, and now using their absolutely gorgeous greenhouse—and how it fulfilled a very personal need.
Background
Megan and Mitch Vaughan run a family business called Vaughan House, an umbrella company for several different business ventures they partake in as a husband and wife team, including wedding photography and videography. Recently, they hand-built a beautiful 14 by the 22-foot greenhouse in their backyard that has allowed Megan to cultivate and mature her love for plants. The greenhouse has 9.5-foot walls and the glass roof peaks at about 14 feet high, making for a magical indoor space that the Vaughans intend to rent out for weddings, receptions, and photoshoots. It has the ability to seat about 20 people, making it an ideal size for people looking for a natural setting for small events.
Table of Contents
- The Benefits of a Greenhouse
- The Interview
Part of the enchantment of the picturesque greenhouse is that it is a perfect example of biophilic architecture, allowing an enclosed living space to open up to the surrounding natural world. The construction was built over a period of seven months by Mitch, using cedar beams and old, white, wooden windows. The flooring is natural grass, which allows the greenhouse to blend into the surrounding landscape of the Vaughan’s yard. While not yet winterized, the Vaughans have incorporated a wide array of beautiful flowers and houseplants that keep the space covered in greenery through much of the year.
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
