Floor-to-ceiling glass for a replacement cliffside home in Cornwall
The house was excavated into the cliff edge to follow the site topography and reduce its visual impact. This created complex relationships between the structure, terraces and internal floor levels, requiring each glazed opening to be designed around the building geometry. IQ Glass guidance on glazing for homes on sloping sites explains why access, views and structural coordination must be resolved early.
Wind exposure was a defining technical constraint. Glazing was engineered for pressures of 2.1 to 2.9 kN/m², with selected sliding door installations requiring 3.4 kN/m². These loads informed the glass build-ups, framing profiles, fixings and tolerances at each aperture. The principles behind this process are covered in IQ Glass’s guidance on architectural glazing wind resistance, while this South West wind-load case study demonstrates how exposed coastal conditions influence project-specific glazing design.
The scale of the oversized glass and restricted site access created a separate installation challenge. A 3D laser scan improved dimensional coordination, while phased deliveries and specialist lifting equipment allowed the large units to reach the sloping site safely. On projects involving large panes, bespoke systems and complex access, early cost engineering of architectural glazing can help coordinate glass sizes, system selection and installation requirements before procurement.
Four-metre sliding glass doors engineered for high wind loads
The main living room uses four-metre-high slim sliding glass doors with 21mm vertical junctions. Two glazed elevations meet at a corner, extending the panoramic view around the room while minimising the visual interruption of the building envelope.
Large sliding elevations continue across the south-west and south-east faces, with additional three-metre-high doors providing external access from other rooms and the gym. This gives several parts of the house a direct relationship with the coast rather than concentrating the views within one principal room.
Flush thresholds reduce the transition between the internal floors and terraces. Solar control glass manages heat gain and glare while maintaining the clear appearance required for the sea views.
Double-height entrance glazing and coastal windows
A double-height frameless-effect window forms the entrance elevation, creating the first major coastal view on arrival. The installation uses the thermally broken Invisio structural glazing system, with its framing concealed within the building finishes.
The glass extends through the two-storey entrance volume, introducing daylight into the circulation space and reinforcing the vertical scale of the house. IQ Glass guidance on double-height glazing covers the coordination of glass thickness, wind pressure, structure and installation access at this scale.
Portrait and landscape aluminium windows and doors frame further coastal views and provide controlled ventilation. A consistent marine-grade finish connects these framed openings with the sliding doors and structural glazing.
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