Glass Trends: Externally Sliding Doors

IQ Glass have long been at the forefront of glass technology and finally the trends in architecture and design are finally catching up with what glass can achieve. This this series of blogs IQ will be looking at architecture in the media to see what the current trends are and how these impressive glass designs can be used on your project.

3. Glass Doors Sliding over External Walls

"sliding doors: one panel of glass on which the sliding units have to sit over"

The issue that some clients have with the use of sliding doors is that there will always remain one panel of glass on which the sliding units have to sit over, not allowing a full opening access to the garden/patio/balcony area.

But this small issue is largely overlooked due to the fantastic aesthetic you can achieve with minimal framed sliding doors and the unobtrusive sightlines.

The normal solution is to have a section of the wall built out to include a cavity pocket into which the sliding doors can slide, hidden neatly and invisibly away within the building structure.

Sometimes though this is not possible due to various building constraints. IQ have recently seen a trend toward externally sliding doors. This includes the large glass units sliding to reveal a clear opening in the building but instead of sliding over a fixed glass panel or into a cavity pocket, the units slide onto the external face of the building.

External Sliding Door as seen on Grand Designs 2013

It was most impressively seen on a recent Grand Designs episode where the owners had a large flush glazed glass panel automatically slide and sit onto the external face of their flint covered farm house.

A similar, thought smaller scale project, utilised the same idea to their modest brick home. The contrast between the slim or flush glazed glass panels and the rougher brick and stone surfaces is a striking aesthetic.

Large Glass Sliding doors sliding over external brick wall