Barrowgate Road

Slim framed sliding doors create indoor outdoor living space.

Barrowgate Road is a three-storey Victorian home in Greater London that underwent a complete refurbishment to reorganise its internal living spaces while retaining the character of the original property.

The contemporary rear extension uses slim framed sliding glass doors, internal glass doors and a structural glass roof to bring daylight deep into the ground floor and create a direct relationship between the kitchen, dining space and landscaped garden.

The project was shortlisted for The Design Awards 2025.

Products Used

Featured In

Shortlisted for The Design Awards 2025

Location

London
Barrowgate frameless glass rooflight and soft diffusing blind system
neutral interior design with oversized sliding glass doors and rooflight

Opening a Victorian home towards the garden

The refurbishment needed to create a lighter and more open ground floor without losing the calmer character of the existing Victorian house.

The new rear extension therefore combines large garden-facing glazing with overhead and internal glass. Rather than concentrating daylight at the external elevation, the glazing strategy allows it to move through the extension and onwards into the original plan.

A three-pane sliding door forms the principal garden opening. Structural roof glazing introduces light from above, while glazed internal doors allow daylight from the extension to continue into adjoining rooms.

This creates a sequence of connected spaces while still allowing individual areas of the ground floor to be separated when required.

Three-pane sliding doors with a flush garden threshold

The garden elevation uses slim framed sliding glass doors in a three-pane configuration.

Project sightlines of just 21mm reduce the amount of visible aluminium across the elevation, allowing the central pane to frame a largely uninterrupted view towards the garden.

A flush threshold creates a level transition between the internal living space and external terrace, removing a raised track from the principal circulation route.

The aluminium framing was finished in black polyester powder coating, giving the sliding elevation a stronger graphic definition while coordinating with the darker internal glazing.

Roof glazing and internal glass extend daylight through the plan

A structural glass roof was incorporated into the new extension to introduce daylight from above as well as through the rear elevation.

This is particularly important within an extended Victorian plan, where increasing the depth of the ground floor can leave the original interior further from an external window.

Inside the house, tall internal glass hinged doors continue this daylight strategy beyond the extension. Their glazed panels allow borrowed light to pass between rooms while still providing physical separation between different parts of the ground floor.

The dark framing of the internal doors also coordinates with the black external sliding system, creating a consistent glazing language from the garden elevation into the existing house.

slim steel internal doors in double opening configuration
glass extension with slim framed sliding doors

Performance considerations

The performance strategy for the slim framed sliding doors for a Victorian rear extension in London centred on daylight, access, ventilation and maintaining usable internal conditions throughout the year.

The large rear elevation increases natural light and provides direct garden access, while the roof glazing introduces daylight into areas further from the external façade.

The three-pane sliding configuration also allows the garden elevation to be opened for natural ventilation during warmer conditions. When closed, the thermally broken aluminium framing forms part of the insulated external envelope.

Minimal curtains were incorporated alongside the sliding glass doors to provide adjustable privacy and soften daylight when required without permanently obstructing the glazed elevation.

Technical details

  • Slim framed sliding glass doors: three-pane configuration to the rear garden elevation
  • Project sightline: approximately 21mm
  • Threshold: flush threshold specified for a level transition between the extension and garden
  • External frame finish: black polyester powder-coated aluminium
  • Internal glazing: tall double-opening glass doors with slim dark framing and minimal handles
  • Structural glass roof: frameless overhead glazing used within the new extension to increase daylight
  • Shading and privacy: minimal neutral curtain system installed alongside the sliding elevation
  • Glazing strategy: rear sliding doors, overhead structural glazing and internal glass doors coordinated to distribute daylight through the ground floor

Barrowgate Road demonstrates how slim framed sliding doors for a Victorian rear extension in London can form part of a wider daylight strategy rather than simply providing a large opening to the garden.

The sliding elevation establishes the primary indoor-outdoor connection, roof glazing brings light into the deeper extension, and internal glass doors allow that daylight to continue through the original house while retaining separation between rooms.

Architects and homeowners planning similar contemporary rear extensions can contact IQ Glass to discuss slim sliding doors, flush thresholds, structural roof glazing and internal glass systems.

Associated Products

luxury new build home with minimal glass facade

Slim Framed Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding doors with ultra-slim sightlines, offering only the highest levels of performance and durability.

Internal Glass Hinged Doors

Internal glass hinged doors are stylish and contemporary, allowing natural light to flow through rooms. They can be single or double doors and come in a variety of sizes and styles to complement any interior design
a large glass roof over a side infill extension with white walls

Structural Glass Roofs

Frameless structural glass roofs for contemporary homes. UK design, manufacture and installation.

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