Frameless coastal glazing across a three-storey Cornish home
The central design challenge was to create a highly glazed coastal home that remained visually calm and practical across three levels of accommodation. Because the rear of the house faces directly towards the beach, the glazing had to do more than admit light. It had to establish clear movement routes to the outside, capture long views and support a broken-plan internal arrangement without introducing heavy framing.
A series of sliding glass doors was used to form a near-frameless rear façade to the principal living spaces, while frameless structural windows were inserted elsewhere to maintain visual continuity. This combination allows Dynargh to operate as a frameless glass house overlooking the Cornish coast, with each elevation carefully tuned to its room use and outlook.
The material palette reinforces this approach. Dark timber to the upper and lower levels frames the glazed openings, while the central band of Cornish brickwork gives warmth and weight to the composition. The glazing then works as the connecting element, pulling daylight and coastal views through the full depth of the house.
Sliding glass doors opening directly to the beach path
The first-floor living rooms open towards the coast through large slim framed sliding glass doors that lead directly to a stairway cut into the side of the hill. This arrangement creates a practical and immediate connection between the house and the beach beyond.
The outer frames of the sliding systems are concealed within the surrounding construction, reducing the visible frame lines and helping the rear elevation read as continuous glass. Flush thresholds provide step-free access to the timber decking and improve the transition between interior and exterior surfaces.
At ground-floor level, a concealed casement door provides more discreet access to the wet rooms and storage areas used for surfboards and swimming equipment, allowing the lower floor to support the realities of coastal living without disrupting the architectural language of the rear façade.
Structural windows and rooflights for bright upper-floor rooms
To the upper floor, three large frameless windows were installed to serve the bedrooms. At almost 2m high, these structural glass openings bring strong daylight deep into the rooms while maintaining wide views across the beach and coastline.
Concealed casement doors, clad externally in dark timber, provide access to a narrow terrace running the length of the house. This allows ventilation and external access without interrupting the clean composition of the bedroom elevation.
To the rear of the bedrooms, a contemporary wet room uses a frameless structural glass shower screen and a large thermally broken rooflight to introduce top light. These elements keep the space visually open while delivering the daylight levels needed for a deep-plan internal room.
