The Boat House

Riverfront property in Devon

The Boat House is a renovated riverfront property in Devon, positioned on the banks of the River Dart at the junction between the main river and Mill Pool. Carved into the steep riverbank, the property overlooks the historic Stoke Gabriel Mill Pool Dam and required a glazing package that could modernise the building while preserving its riverside character.

IQ Glass provided the architectural glazing package, combining slim sliding glass doors, slim pivot doors, bespoke aluminium windows and solar control glass within the retained red brick exterior. The glazing was designed to replace heavier historic openings with minimal framed systems that improve daylight, expand river views and support the renewed use of the building as a luxury two-bedroom home.

The result is a carefully detailed renovation where slim aluminium framing, high-performance glass and dual-colour finishes improve the connection to the river without compromising the material identity of the late 19th-century building.

Products Used

Featured In

Unique Home Stays

Project Partners

Watermark is marketed as a luxury holiday rental by Unique Homestays. Images ©? Unique Homestays 

Location

Saint Gabriel, Devon
silver patio door in riverfront property in Devon
flush threshold door on riverfront property in Devon overlooking the river

Riverfront property in Devon

Set on the river's edge, this late 19th-century building has been sensitively modernised while retaining the character of its red brick envelope. Originally used as a boathouse, with the upper floor once serving as the shipwright's accommodation, the building was later converted into a two-storey home.

The existing large-framed timber doors overlooking the river were replaced with slim framed aluminium sliding doors. This allowed the river-facing elevation to achieve a more open glazed appearance while keeping the intervention visually controlled against the original brickwork.

As this riverfront property in Devon sits within a sensitive waterside setting, the frame finish was carefully considered. The aluminium systems use a dual-colour design, with natural silver anodising internally and a specialist red-brown anodised finish externally. This allows the glazing to support a contemporary interior while externally referencing the darker timber window and door frames seen locally.

Slim sliding glass doors for riverside views

On the south-east elevation, the existing timber balcony doors serving the ground-floor sitting room were replaced with a three-panel, three-track sliding door system. The installation measures 3m wide by 2.6m tall and comprises one fixed panel with two sliding panels.

The slim aluminium framing reduces interruption across the glazed elevation, keeping the panoramic river view as the principal focus of the sitting room. When opened, the two sliding panels create a broad connection between the interior and the waterfront balcony, reinforcing the relationship between the living space and the River Dart.

Slot aeration was incorporated for background ventilation, while a thrust-lever locking system provides secure operation without introducing visually dominant hardware.

At first-floor level, a pocket sliding door replaced an existing timber door between a bedroom and its balcony. The single sliding panel measures 1.3m wide by 2.2m tall and retracts into a concealed pocket within the wall structure. This configuration clears the opening without leaving a visible panel positioned in front of the adjacent wall or glazing.

Together, the main sliding elevation and pocket door demonstrate how different window configurations can be adapted to existing openings while preserving natural light, outward views and access to waterfront terraces.

Bespoke bay glazing and aluminium pivot doors

The original timber bay window serving the first-floor river-facing bedroom was replaced with a bespoke aluminium-framed arrangement that follows the geometry of the existing opening. Measuring 1.9m tall, the half-decagonal bay comprises five glazed faces connected by 135 degree corner junctions

A fixed pane measuring 1.6m wide forms the front elevation, while two fixed returns measuring 0.5m wide continue the bay towards the property. Two narrower side-hung windows, each measuring 0.3m wide, complete the arrangement and provide controlled natural ventilation. The combination of fixed and opening glass maximises the view towards the river while preserving the distinctive form of the original bay.

On the north-east elevation, IQ Glass replaced an existing ground-floor window with an inward-opening pivot door and fixed overlight, creating a new access route towards the side garden. The complete arrangement measures 3.3m tall by 1.2m wide and includes a pivot door measuring 2.5m tall beneath a fixed overlight measuring 0.6m high.

A concealed T-section connects the door and overlight, with insulated internal and external aluminium pressings completing the installation. Further minimal windows® pivot doors measuring 1m wide by 2.2m tall and 1.1m wide by 2.2m tall were installed elsewhere around the refurbished property.

The wider glazing package also includes fixed windows, side-hung casements and top-hung bathroom windows. Each element was designed around the dimensions, orientation and use of the individual opening rather than applying one standard glazing configuration throughout the building.

slim sliding doors riverfront property in Devon
bespoke glazing designs to the riverfront property in Devon

Performance considerations

The retained masonry required careful coordination between the rectangular aluminium frames and the irregular geometry of the historic openings. Where selected windows and doors met slightly arched brick heads, decorative aluminium pressings were measured and cut on site after the frames had been installed. These bespoke components close the gaps around the frames while providing a consistent finish against the original building fabric.

All aluminium framing has a dual-colour anodised finish. Externally, the UA140-2 Organic Crimson finish gives the aluminium a dark red appearance selected to resemble hardwood timber and complement the red stone elevations. Internally, natural silver anodised framing introduces a lighter contemporary contrast.

The property’s position beside the River Dart also influenced the performance specification. All framing was supplied in a marine-grade finish due to the home’s proximity to the tidal water, while the glazing package was engineered for a project wind load of 0.65kN/m².

All units are double glazed using heat-soak-tested glass. SKN 175 solar-control coating was applied to the external panes, providing a recorded visible light transmission of 70% and a g-value of 0.35. This specification allows high levels of natural light into the property while limiting the proportion of solar energy transmitted through the glass.

The carefully coordinated combination of solar-control glass, marine-grade framing and bespoke pressings enables the contemporary systems to meet the practical demands of the waterfront setting while remaining sympathetic to the existing architecture.

Technical details

The following provides a concise overview of the architectural glazing designed, supplied and installed by IQ Glass:

  • River-facing sliding doors: Three-panel, three-track sliding door system measuring 3m wide by 2.6m tall, comprising one fixed panel and two sliding panels with integrated slot aeration and a thrust-lever lock.

  • Bespoke bay window: Five-face, half-decagonal aluminium bay measuring 1.9m tall, with 135-degree corner connections, a front pane measuring 1.6m wide, two fixed returns measuring 0.5m wide and two side-hung windows measuring 0.3m wide.

  • Pivot door with overlight: Inward-opening pivot door measuring 2.5m tall, installed within an aperture measuring 3.3m high by 1.2m wide, beneath a fixed overlight measuring 0.6m high.

  • Additional pivot doors: Pivot doors measuring 1m wide by 2.2m tall and 1.1m wide by 2.2m tall, fitted with inside-to-outside Euro-cylinder locks.

  • Pocket sliding door: Single-track sliding panel measuring 1.3m wide by 2.2m tall, retracting into a concealed wall pocket and fitted with a thrust-lever lock.

  • Aluminium casement windows: Side-hung and top-hung configurations ranging from a guest WC window measuring 0.7m wide by 0.9m tall to three opening windows measuring 0.9m wide by 1.7m tall, plus bespoke bedroom and bathroom windows.

  • Fixed glazing: Fixed window measuring 1m wide by 2.6m tall, installed within a former ground-floor doorway.

  • Glass specification: Double-glazed, heat-soak-tested units with SKN 175 solar-control coating to all external panes, providing 70% visible light transmission and a g-value of 0.35.

  • Frame specification: Marine-grade dual-colour aluminium framing, finished externally in UA140-2 Organic Crimson anodising and internally in natural silver anodising.

  • Existing opening details: Bespoke aluminium pressings measured and cut on site to accommodate the arched brick heads around selected rectangular frames.

  • Wind-load requirement: Glazing package engineered for a project wind load of 0.65kN/m².

Glazing for riverfront properties in Devon

The Boat House shows how a historic riverside building can be upgraded with slim architectural glazing while retaining the character of its original material envelope.

This approach is well suited to architects and specifiers working on heritage renovations where slim sliding doors, pivot doors, bespoke aluminium windows and solar control glass need to be coordinated with retained masonry and sensitive waterside views.

Interested in a similar glazing package for a riverfront property? Get in touch with us for technical advice.

Associated Products

luxury new build home with minimal glass facade

Slim Framed Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding doors with ultra-slim sightlines, offering only the highest levels of performance and durability.
Aluminium windows

Aluminium Windows

Aluminium windows are versatile and durable, with applications in residential and commercial buildings. They are energy efficient, low maintenance, and available in a range of colours and styles.
large pivot door to london extension - slim pivot doors

Slim Pivot Doors

Slim pivot doors feature a minimalistic design and operate on a pivot system. They are ideal for modern homes and offer a sleek and elegant aesthetic while maximising space.

Solar Control Glass

Solar control glass is used in buildings to reduce heat gain and glare from the sun. It can also help to conserve energy and improve occupant comfort and productivity.

Get In Touch

Let's Discuss Your Project

Submit a Project Enquiry

Get in touch

Book Your CPD

Contact Us to Book

© IQ GLASS

IQ GLASS SOLUTIONS LTD (COMPANY NO. 07150011) | IQ, MONDRIAN AND SIEGER ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS

Design and Website by