Duke Street

Side infill extension with structural glass roof

Terrace properties often have space at the side of the property that leads into the garden. Terrace homes were traditionally designed with a living room at the front which flowed into a dining area and then onto a long kitchen that led to a bathroom at the back.

The access into the garden was placed in the kitchen usually as a side door, however modern architectural designs see more homeowners looking for patio doors at the end of the ground floor that lead straight out into the garden.

Having the doors at the back of the property means that the light can flow directly through the length of the home with a streamlined effect. This also gives terrace properties the illusion that there is more space as the interior feels open and bright. Having the doors located so that they are facing the garden at the back often creates more space internally and the walls can be utilised more efficiently.

To this property, the home was extended to the side to enlarge that central kitchen space while retaining the room at the back. Within the side extension, aluminium casement doors were used to access the patio and garden from the side return. This allowed beautiful levels of light into the property and illuminated the kitchen.

These casement doors follow the lines of the property and thus add length to the vision from the front of the house all the way down to the back of the garden and beyond. This method is highly successful in terrace renovations to introduce more natural light throughout the ground floor as well as providing a stronger connection to the outdoors.

To further enhance the amount of natural light within the side infill extension, a structural glass roof was installed that filled the whole extension at the side of the kitchen. IQ Glass designed the glass roof to be completely frameless to allow maximum levels of light into the kitchen and surrounding rooms. The glass roof flows from the top of the double casement doors, up and over the roof of the extension for an elongated section of glass.

Up and over glazing is a type of glazing installation that is often seen in terraced properties as it’s a sophisticated yet practical solution to fill these disused areas at the side of the property. The large amount of structural glass helps to build a connection to the outdoors by minimising all visual obstructions yet providing a practical roof structure.

The ‘infilling’ of little-used side passages enables architects to extend the rear living areas. These extensions can be large or small depending on the property, and the project in hand. IQ Glass worked alongside the architects and homeowners on this project to design something that achieves the most in this modest space.

The project entailed the removal of part of an external wall to create a large kitchen, which now achieves an open-plan living area that’s more suited towards modern living.

The kitchen is now more spacious and features an elegant kitchen island that looks out into the garden through the French doors. The frameless roof glazing is installed diagonally above the kitchen island which offers the homeowners beautiful views of the sky while preparing meals in the kitchen.

Overall this project was modest yet highly beneficial to improve the light and space in this rear kitchen, but also to repurpose a disused outdoor area.