Goscote House is the sensitive transformation of a Grade II listed family home in Wymeswold, Leicestershire. Designed by HSSP Architects, the project re‑imagines the relationship between historic fabric and modern living by introducing a series of carefully detailed glazing elements, including a frameless glass link, roof glazing and slim sliding doors. IQ Glass was appointed to design, supply and install the specialist architectural glazing throughout the project. Central to the scheme is the use of frameless glazing to a Leicestershire extension, allowing the original elevations of the listed building to remain visually legible while supporting a contemporary kitchen and dining addition.
Products Used
Project Partners
HSSP Architects
Location
Wymeswold, Leicestershire
Heritage Context and Design Challenges
As a listed building, Goscote House required a design approach that preserved the character of the original structure while enabling meaningful modernisation. The architects sought to convert existing outbuildings and garages into a new kitchen extension, connected back to the main house in a way that avoided visual dominance or loss of historic detail. A key ambition was to allow old and new to be clearly read as distinct elements, rather than blending them through traditional construction techniques.
This introduced several challenges. The connection between the listed building and the new extension needed to be structurally independent, thermally efficient and visually lightweight. Internally, the layout required a weather‑protected route between spaces without introducing enclosed corridors that would reduce light or spatial clarity. The glazing also needed to accommodate level changes, shaped junctions and varying roof conditions while maintaining performance appropriate for year‑round use.
Frameless Glass Link as a Contemporary Connector
IQ Glass designed and installed a long, frameless structural glass link to connect the original house with the new kitchen extension. Rather than using a conventional enclosed corridor, the architects and glazing team developed a glazed passage that reads as a transparent architectural element in its own right. This glass link provides an insulated circulation route while maintaining uninterrupted views of the surrounding courtyard and garden.
The link incorporates a fully glazed roof formed from multiple frameless structural glass panels, allowing daylight to wash through the space throughout the day. At ground level, the east elevation of the link is infilled with a structural glass wall, while the north end terminates in a full‑height frameless glass window. All corners and intersections use glass‑to‑glass junctions, eliminating visible framing and reinforcing the clarity of the connection between old and new. This approach exemplifies how frameless glazing to a Leicestershire extension can preserve historic legibility while enabling modern use.
Slim Sliding Doors and Shaped Glazing for Everyday Living
Beyond the glass link, IQ Glass installed a range of slim sliding doors and bespoke glazed elements to support daily use of the home. A feature gable window to the dining room combines a shaped fixed pane above with a slim sliding door below, creating a vertical composition that frames views of the rear garden while following the geometry of the extension roof.
Additional sliding door systems were installed between the kitchen and outdoor terraces, allowing the main living spaces to open directly onto the external areas during warmer months. Above the kitchen sink, a wide sliding window provides both ventilation and garden views while maintaining consistency with the minimal detailing used throughout the project. Steel beams separating glazed elements were concealed using bespoke insulated pressings, ensuring the overall composition reads as a continuous glazed façade rather than a series of components.
Light, Performance and Architectural Clarity
The extensive use of glazing at Goscote House ensures that daylight plays a central role in shaping the internal experience of the home. Despite the complexity of the junctions and the heritage setting, all glazed elements were specified to deliver modern thermal performance, with double‑glazed units incorporating low‑emissivity and solar control coatings where appropriate.
The frameless glass link also performs an important environmental role, creating a light‑filled buffer space between the original house and the new extension. This approach avoids direct structural intervention into the listed building while enhancing comfort and usability. The project demonstrates how thoughtful application of frameless structural glass can support both conservation objectives and contemporary architectural ambition.
Technical Details
- Grade II listed family home with a contemporary kitchen and dining extension
- Frameless structural glass link connecting original house and new extension
- Glass link measuring approximately 15m long x 1.5m wide
- Fully glazed roof to the link formed from six frameless structural glass panels with a roof fall of approximately 1.8 degrees
- Structural glass wall to the east elevation of the link formed from four frameless panels, including shaped panels to accommodate patio level changes
- Frameless structural glass window at the north end of the link measuring approximately 2.6m tall x 1.5m wide
- All glass‑to‑glass connections formed without visible framing using thermally broken Invisio fixing systems
- Feature gable window to dining room comprising a shaped fixed pane above and a two‑panel, two‑track slim sliding door below, overall width approximately 2.1m
- Additional three‑panel, three‑track slim sliding door between kitchen and terrace measuring approximately 3.6m wide x 2.2m tall
- Slim framed sliding window above kitchen sink measuring approximately 3.6m wide x 1.0m tall
- All glazing double glazed with toughened glass and low‑e or solar control coatings
- All visible framing and steelwork finished in PPC RAL 9005
Begin Your Frameless Glazing to a Leicestershire Extension Project
For architects and homeowners exploring frameless glazing to a Leicestershire extension, Goscote House demonstrates how structural glass, slim sliding doors and thoughtful detailing can bridge the gap between heritage and contemporary design. IQ Glass provides specialist glazing design, engineering and installation support for complex residential projects across the Midlands and beyond.
Contact our team to discuss your project requirements.
