Bespoke light box extension to a red brick cottage

The homeowners wanted to increase the light within the listed building and also increase the living space. Therefore, they commissioned builders to construct a dormer window to the second floor of the property and sought the help of IQ Glass to design and install a bespoke structural glass extension. Modern extensions to listed buildings can be difficult to achieve due to the planning restrictions in place to preserve the aesthetic of these properties.

Architectural glazing is an excellent solution when it comes to renovating listed or heritage buildings and are often the preferred method by planning officials and bodies such as English Heritage. The beauty of glass panels is that they do not require a frame, and therefore have minimal interruption to the aesthetic of the existing building (which is required when conducting building work to listed properties).

IQ Glass designed this bespoke glass extension with a frameless glass wall and a shaped frameless glass roof. The shaped glass roof elegantly joined the coursed limestone rubble wall of the staircase turret. The glass connection to the wall was carefully designed to ensure that minimal alterations were made to the façade of the tower to preserve the original aesthetic. To blend the join of the new extension with the limestone wall, a red brick semi-circle design was applied to the limestone stair turret which helped to highlight to the beauty of the turret while concealing where the glass connects to the wall.

To support the structural glass roof, a horizontal steel beam was installed which not only supported the weight of the glass roof but also supported the vertical frameless glass beams. The steel beam was used to ensure that the weight of the glass wasn’t being put on the structure of the staircase turret. The frameless glass beams were manufactured using low iron glass to create a beautifully clear aesthetic which made the view of the historic property incredibly clear and uninterrupted.

The frameless glass walls to this rear glass extension were designed with an exceptionally minimalistic aesthetic to achieve outstanding views of the Grade II listed home. In the centre of the glass wall, IQ Glass installed a high performance Schuco door that let out into the rear garden. Surrounding the door IQ installed aluminium pressings to create a smooth join between the aluminium porch door and the structural glass wall.

This kind of light box extension to listed buildings is a beautiful design that adds a contemporary element to the traditional architecture. The glass extension design boasts a super contemporary glazing design that provides a distinct separation between the new and heritage areas of the property. The overall aesthetic of the finished design is highly impressive and has become another ‘wow factor’ of this charming cottage.

For more information on glass in listed buildings or any of the systems mentioned here, contact the team at IQ today.