Wheelchair accessible glass sliding doors for a bespoke accessible home

Open-corner sliding doors with flush thresholds

The kitchen and dining space uses slim framed sliding glass doors with sightlines no wider than 21mm. Some individual panes weighed more than 400kg, allowing large areas of glass to frame the surrounding landscape without heavy intermediate framing.

An open-corner configuration allows two sliding elevations to move away from the junction without leaving a fixed corner post. Combined with completely flush thresholds, this creates a wide, step-free route between the kitchen, living area and garden.

The threshold detail was central to the wheelchair-accessible brief, allowing smooth movement between internal and external floor finishes without a raised track interrupting the route.

Clerestory glazing and frameless windows for controlled daylight

Clerestory windows by Invisio introduce natural light at high level without occupying usable wall space or interfering with circulation below.

Frameless picture windows and casement glazing provide further views and ventilation around the house. Concealed structural glazing details reduce visible framing so the landscape remains the focus from the principal rooms.

Together, the sliding doors, clerestory glass and fixed glazing provide different combinations of daylight, ventilation, views and external access without compromising the accessible floor plan.

Technical details

• Slim framed sliding glass doors: project sightlines 21mm; selected panes over 400kg; open-corner configurations and floor-to-ceiling glazing used throughout the pavilion; standard tested panes up to 8.5m², 4m high and 500kg
• Sliding door performance: typical Uw greater than 1.1 W/m²K; Air Class 4 / Driving rain Class 7A / Wind Class C4/B5; PAS 24 security
• Accessible thresholds: fully flush, step-free base tracks specified at principal openings, with drainage integrated below finished floor level
• Clerestory windows: high-level structural glazing used to introduce daylight while retaining privacy and clear usable wall space below
• Frameless windows: fixed structural glazing with concealed thermally broken framing, used where uninterrupted views and maximum glass area were required
• Installation logistics: oversized panes installed beneath a restrictive roof overhang using two glazing robots, specialist trolleys and additional manual handling

Clayworth Cottage demonstrates how wheelchair accessible glass sliding doors can form part of the fundamental architecture of an accessible home rather than being treated as a specialist adaptation. Flush thresholds, wide openings and open-corner configurations allow independent movement while preserving daylight, views and the architectural quality of the living spaces.

The project’s appearance on Grand Designs brought particular attention to the way accessibility, sustainability and contemporary residential architecture were developed together, without requiring compromise on the glazing design.

Architects and specifiers working on comparable accessible homes can contact IQ Glass for technical advice on wheelchair accessible glass sliding doors, flush threshold detailing, open-corner configurations and frameless architectural glazing.