Catslide House uses architectural glazing in Hertfordshire to support a new build home within a conservation area, surrounded by a mix of 1970s houses and Arts and Crafts influenced architecture. Designed by Graeme Williamson Architects, the house takes reference from its setting through a brick chimney, a catslide roof form and a restrained residential scale. IQ Glass supplied a coordinated glazing package including slim framed sliding doors, rear corner glazing, frameless rooflights, strip roof glazing and aluminium clad timber windows to support the design brief for daylight, spatial openness and a controlled connection to the garden.
Products Used
Featured In
Project Partners
Photos by Leon Chew Studio
Graeme Williamson Architects
Location
Hertfordshire
Architectural glazing in Hertfordshire shaped by conservation area context
The design challenge was to create a contemporary new home that responded to the character of its conservation area without copying the surrounding architecture. The architects used familiar local references, including the chimney, roof profile and domestic proportions, then introduced a more open ground floor through carefully positioned architectural glazing. For this project, the glazing had to solve two requirements at once: increase the perception of internal space and keep the building visually composed within its residential setting. The solution was a controlled package of rear ultra-slim sliding glass doors, corner glazing, rooflights and composite windows, each positioned to manage light, views, enclosure and privacy.
Rear corner glazing for spatial depth and garden views
Below the catslide roofline, IQ Glass installed bespoke glazing around the rear of the house at ground floor level. A combination of structural glass and slim framed sliding doors creates a full-height glazed connection to the garden, resolving the challenge of making the living spaces feel larger without overcomplicating the elevation. The corner glazing draws the eye through the ground floor and out to the external space, supporting the architect’s intention to create both a tangible and perceptual sense of space. Minimal framing keeps the rear elevation visually calm, so the glazing reads as part of the architectural structure rather than as a separate feature.
Rooflights and aluminium clad windows for controlled daylight
Frameless rooflights and strip roof glazing were placed at strategic locations to bring daylight into deeper parts of the plan without relying only on vertical openings. Interior timber battens soften the light from above, giving the roof glazing a controlled role in the interior rather than creating harsh overhead brightness. Aluminium clad timber windows were used elsewhere in the project, with timber internally and aluminium externally to coordinate with the grey facades. This combination supports the material language of the house while providing daylight, ventilation and framed outlooks across private and guest areas.
Performance considerations
The architectural glazing in Hertfordshire at Catslide House is based on controlled daylight, visual continuity and occupant comfort. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors increase natural light and garden views across the main living spaces, while the rooflights bring top light into selected parts of the plan. Timber battens help moderate the impact of overhead glazing, reducing glare and giving the interiors a more enclosed, crafted quality. The aluminium clad timber windows provide secondary openings, ventilation and visual consistency between interior timber finishes and external aluminium faces. Together, these elements allow the home to achieve openness without losing the privacy and enclosure required in a conservation area setting.
Technical details
- Slim framed sliding doors: 21mm sightline; max tested sliding pane 8.5m² up to 4.0m high and 500kg; typical Uw > 1.1 W/m²K; tested to Air Class 4 / Driving rain Class 7A / Wind Class C4/B5; sound insulation up to 39dB; PAS 24 security
- Frameless rooflights and strip roof glazing: glass thickness up to 37.5mm DGU; typical Ug 1.1 W/m²K; example Uw 1.2 W/m²K; minimum upstand 150mm; fall 5° to 45°; laminated inner pane required for overhead glazing
- Rear corner glazing: structural glass used with slim sliding doors to form the ground-floor corner condition, maintaining a full-height glazed connection to the garden with minimal visible framing
Catslide House shows how architectural glazing in Hertfordshire can be used to create spatial openness while responding to a conservation area context. This approach is well suited to architect-designed homes where slim sliding doors, roof glazing, corner glazing and aluminium clad timber windows need to work together as one controlled architectural glazing package.
To discuss comparable architectural glazing in Hertfordshire, contact IQ Glass for technical advice on sliding door configurations, roof glazing, daylight strategy and bespoke glazing details.
