Design Context and Passive House Challenges
Delivering a Passivhaus within a sensitive rural and heritage setting required a careful balance between performance and design intent. The architectural strategy focused on embedding the building into the landscape, using a south‑facing courtyard to capture solar gain while protecting the structure from exposure.
High levels of glazing were essential to the concept, particularly along the south‑facing elevations, to maximise daylight and passive solar heating. However, this introduced several key challenges. The glazing needed to meet strict thermal performance targets, minimise heat loss and maintain airtightness, all while accommodating large openings that would allow fluid movement between internal spaces and the courtyard.
In addition, the building’s setting within a former walled garden required a restrained architectural language, where glazing would support the design without appearing dominant or visually intrusive.
Large Format Sliding Glazing Within a Passive House Envelope
IQ Glass designed and delivered a significant sliding glazing installation forming the central connection between the main living areas and the courtyard. This multi‑panel sliding system spans approximately 21 metres in width, creating a continuous glazed elevation that can be opened in multiple configurations.
Despite its scale, the system was engineered to meet Passivhaus‑level performance requirements, achieving a Uw value of approximately 0.76 W/m²K. Triple glazing with low‑emissivity coatings ensures that thermal efficiency is maintained while allowing high levels of natural light to pass into the interior.
The flexibility of the sliding configuration allows the elevation to be opened either centrally or from the sides, supporting different modes of occupation and ventilation. This adaptability is particularly important in a Passive House, where controlled interaction with the external environment plays a key role in overall performance.
Consistent Glazing Strategy Across Living and Private Spaces
In addition to the principal glazing elevation, IQ Glass installed further slim sliding door systems to the ground floor bedrooms, maintaining a consistent design language throughout the house.
These openings provide direct access from private spaces to the courtyard, reinforcing the relationship between interior and exterior while ensuring each room benefits from natural light and visual connection. Each doorset was specified with triple glazing to achieve Uw values of approximately 0.95 W/m²K, supporting the overall thermal envelope of the building.
The use of thermally broken aluminium framing and high‑performance glass ensures that even these smaller openings contribute positively to the building’s energy strategy, without compromising the clean, minimal aesthetic required by the architecture.
