South London Home

Extension using Sliding Glass Doors with Steel Look Windows

This south London home was extended and renovated with an expert team of designers and builders to turn the small and cramped kitchen/dining area into a bright space with excellent garden connections.

A key part of the design brief to the architects was to integrate more texture into the rear elevation which they did through a combination of materials using slim framed aluminium and timber; merging sliding glass doors with steel look windows for a multi layered glass design.

Credit

Granit Architects 

Photography by Andrew Beasley

Location

South London

The three panel sliding glass door to the rear connected directly to the steel look windows that wrapped around the corner of the extension.

Using a three panel sliding glass door with the steel windows opened up the majority of the rear of the extension, providing that much needed connection to the garden for the ‘inside-out’ feel that was part of the design brief.

Aluminium pressings were used to merge the connection of the sliding glass door to the steel look windows in a seamless and minimal way, making this multi element glass elevation look like it was one continuous installation of frame.

The sliding glass door slides open from left to right (from the outside view) creating a large opening in the rear elevation. The connection between the sliding glass door and steel look windows had to be expertly detailed as this was two different systems connecting together.

The slip steel look window to the front elevation has an opening vent at the top for natural ventilation with fixed panels underneath to mirror the glazing design. This slip window connects at a 90 degree angle to a wall of aluminium casement windows that run the length of the kitchen extension.

The entire corner casement window was installed onto an engineered brick plinth and placed so that it was fitted onto the outer edge of this.

The placement of the casement window elevation created a deep internal cill which doubled up as a window seat.

This returning wall of glass is framed in thermally broken aluminium with the configuration of the window units designed to create a continuous design line from the lowest transom.

At the end of the glass elevation, a side hung window is merged into the casement arrangement for even further possibilities of ventilation with a seamless design.