Modern structural glazing in Haywards Heath defines Shards, a new Paragraph 80 dwelling by Morgan Carn Architects on a former quarry site. IQ Glass worked with the architect and homeowner to develop a glazing package of oversized frameless structural glass, triple glazed slim sliding doors, a slim framed pivot entrance door and frameless glass balustrades, using sharp geometries and minimal junctions to reflect the shard-like concept of the house. The result is a highly glazed, energy-efficient family home where the glazing is used not as infill, but as a primary architectural element across the facades, atrium, balconies and pool-facing elevations.
Products Used
Featured In
Shards submitted for the Sussex Heritage Trust Awards
Project Partners
Architect: Morgan Carn Partnership Architects
Location
Haywards Heath
Modern structural glazing in Haywards Heath for a Paragraph 80 quarry-site dwelling
The design challenge was to translate the former quarry site into a coherent architectural language, using glazing to echo the sharp geometries and fractured forms that informed the overall concept. That required more than large areas of glass. The glazing package had to deliver oversized angled panes, double-height light transfer, sliding facades to terraces and balconies, and corner-to-corner frameless conditions, all while maintaining high thermal performance appropriate to an eco-led new build. Modern structural glazing in Haywards Heath therefore became the central design solution, allowing the building to remain visually sharp and transparent without relying on bulky framing or conventional punched openings.
Oversized structural glass solving the angled facade condition
A key design problem within the main kitchen and living space was how to form a dramatic angled glazed feature without interrupting the shard concept with visible structure. IQ Glass resolved this with an oversized frameless structural glass pane set at first-floor level, engineered to lean outward while remaining securely clamped through bespoke steel fixing channels within the surrounding facade construction. At approximately 4m high and 400kg, this monolithic pane becomes the focal point of the elevation overlooking the swimming pool. Additional frameless structural glazing to the gym, snug and double-height stair volume continues the same approach, using minimal glass-to-glass corners and clean junctions to maintain the disciplined geometric language of the house.
Triple glazed sliding facades, balcony openings and frameless guarding
A second challenge was to make the house feel permeable to the garden while retaining the performance expected of a high-specification eco home. Triple glazed slim sliding doors were therefore used extensively at ground and first-floor level, wrapping key elevations and opening the kitchen and living spaces onto the terrace and balcony. Frameless glass balustrades provide guarding to balcony edges without interrupting views, while corner-to-corner glazing brings additional daylight into the darker parts of the plan. A slim framed pivot entrance door was colour matched to the black timber and anthracite stone cladding so the entrance could sit within the overall composition without breaking the glazing-led facade language. Modern structural glazing in Haywards Heath is therefore used here as a response both to the visual concept and to the practical requirement for light, access and outward views.
Performance considerations
There is no trade-off here between minimal appearance and building performance. The structural glazing uses thermally broken fixing systems, and the sliding doors are specified as triple glazed units to support improved insulation across the envelope. Large areas of frameless glazing are concentrated at the key visual and spatial moments of the house, while balcony guarding and entrance detailing are resolved with minimal sightlines so the overall composition remains sharp and uncluttered. In this way, modern structural glazing in Haywards Heath supports the project’s eco-led brief by combining daylight, openness and high-performance glazing systems within one coordinated architectural package.
Technical details
- Frameless structural glazing: Thermally broken fixing profile depth 63mm; max glass thickness 41.5mm; expected Uw 1.1 W/m²K; minimum fixing setback 55mm; structure deflection allowance 5mm. On this project, the principal oversized structural glass shard is approximately 4m high and 400kg.
- Triple glazed slim sliding doors: Sightline 26mm; glass thickness 50–56mm; max tested sliding pane 12m² up to 4.5m high and 1000kg; typical Uw 0.8–1.1 W/m²K; air permeability Class 4; driving rain E1050; wind load Class C5; sound insulation up to 43dB.
- Frameless glass balustrades: Toughened laminated glass up to 21.5mm; max height 1100mm; line load up to 3kN; max pane width 6000mm (project-calculated).
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