Perthshire Quays is an extensively remodelled contemporary house in Scotland, overlooking a loch in the Perthshire countryside. MSA Architects transformed the outdated residence into a highly glazed modern home designed to maximise views of the water and create a closer relationship with its natural setting. Working alongside the main contractor, IQ Glass supplied and installed a bespoke glazing package comprising ultra slim sliding glass doors, Invisio® structural glazing and slim aluminium casement windows.
Project Partners
Architect: McKenzie Strickland Associates
Contractor: Crieff Construction Limited
Location
Perthshire, Scotland
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Transforming a Lochside Property into a Contemporary Scottish Home
The original property occupied a south facing lochside setting but combined different architectural styles, poor quality finishes and an insulated fabric that no longer met the standards expected of a modern home. Following a detailed investigation, the existing walls, floors, roof and retaining structures were found to be robust enough to support substantial remodelling rather than requiring the complete replacement of the building.
MSA Architects developed a design that removed barriers between the interior and surrounding landscape, prioritising natural light, uninterrupted views and direct access towards the loch. Sustainability was also central to the renovation, with upgraded insulation, heat pumps, solar PV, whole house ventilation with heat recovery and triple glazing helping the residence surpass environmental building requirements. This created a strong technical and architectural foundation for a high-performance contemporary house in Scotland.
Reworking an Outdated Property Around Loch Views
One of the main challenges was transforming a fragmented and visually inconsistent building into a coherent modern residence. The internal layout and external elevations needed to be substantially remodelled so that the principal rooms could take advantage of the south facing position and extensive views across the loch.
Large glazed openings were essential to this transformation, but they needed to provide more than visual impact. The glazing had to support the environmental performance of the refurbished building while creating a calm, consistent appearance across bedrooms, living spaces, balconies and garden facing areas.
Installing Large Triple Glazed Units on a Restricted Site
Limited site access created a second significant challenge, with deliveries needing to arrive in smaller batches and careful planning required throughout the construction programme. The glazing package included exceptionally large triple glazed units, including full height structural glass panes weighing approximately 700kg each.
The scale and weight of these units required close coordination between IQ Glass, the architect and the main contractor. Installation sequencing, glass handling and integration with the remodelled structure all needed to be resolved precisely to protect the glazing and achieve the clean architectural finish required.
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Triple Glazed Sliding Doors and Structural Glass for Lochside Views
IQ Glass supplied multiple ultra slim sliding door systems across the property, providing access from bedrooms to balconies and connecting the basement, garden room and principal living spaces with the landscape. A large bi-parting sliding door system was installed to the lounge, creating a central opening across a glazed elevation spanning approximately 8.8 metres. Triple glazed, heat soak tested safety glass and slim Black Grey frames combine clear views with the performance required for the exposed Scottish setting.
Invisio® structural glazing was used across the property, including two full height glass panes that form a striking glazed feature almost 5 metres high. Each pane weighs approximately 700kg and uses 62mm triple glazed, heat soak tested glass. Slim aluminium casement windows in top hung, tilt and turn, fixed and side hung configurations complete the glazing package. Together, these systems demonstrate how architectural glazing can transform a contemporary house in Scotland, supporting natural light, energy performance and uninterrupted views of the surrounding landscape.
Technical Glazing Summary
- Multiple ultra slim sliding door systems installed across the bedrooms, balconies, basement, garden room and lounge.
- Lounge sliding door elevation approximately 8.8 metres wide, comprising two fixed and two central sliding panels in a bi-parting configuration.
- Sliding doors specified with 56mm triple glazed clear toughened safety glass with heat soak testing.
- Full height Invisio® structural glazing measuring approximately 4982mm high x 3865mm wide across two panes. The 62mm triple glazed clear toughened and heat soak tested units weigh approximately 700kg per pane.
- Slim aluminium casement windows supplied in top hung, tilt and turn, fixed and side hung configurations, with clear toughened Low E triple glazing.
- Sliding door, window and door frames finished in RAL 7021 Black Grey matt.
Discuss Glazing for a Contemporary House in Scotland
Perthshire Quays demonstrates how triple glazed sliding doors, structural glass and slim aluminium windows can transform an outdated property into a light filled home with an exceptional connection to its landscape. For architects, developers and private clients planning a contemporary house in Scotland, early specialist input can help resolve large glass sizes, environmental performance, restricted access and integration with the building structure.
Speak to IQ Glass about high performance architectural glazing for luxury renovations and contemporary homes throughout Scotland. You can also watch the Perthshire Quays installation video to see how the oversized glazing was handled and installed on this restricted lochside site.
