Tor Bryan

A Frameless Curved Window in Essex for a Mid?Century Modern Extension

Tor Bryan is the sensitive renovation and extension of a 1960s mid-century modern home in Ingatestone, Essex. Designed by Brian Heron of Tidal Architects, the project transforms a small and enclosed kitchen into a bright, open-plan family space while carefully preserving the architectural language that defines the original house. The centrepiece of the scheme is a large frameless curved window to the Essex home, designed to maximise views of the garden while celebrating the curved forms found throughout the original property.

IQ Glass was appointed to design, supply and install the specialist glazing package, including a bespoke curved structural glass window and an elongated frameless rooflight. Together, these elements create a highly distinctive extension that respects the character of the original house while introducing contemporary glazing technology.

Products Used

Project Partners

Designed by Brian Heron of Tidal Architects

Photography by David Valinsky

Location

Ingatestone, Essex
a rear, curved timber clad extension to a mid-century modern home with a frameless curved window
An external view of a curved, timber clad house extension with a frameless curved window

Respecting Mid-Century Architecture Through Contemporary Design

Tor Bryan forms part of a highly regarded modernist estate in Ingatestone, developed between the 1960s and early 1970s. The houses are recognised for their distinctive geometry, strong material palette and carefully planned relationship with the landscape. The homeowners wanted to modernise the house for contemporary family living without losing the characteristics that make the property unique.

The existing kitchen was compact, dark and disconnected from the garden. The extension sought to increase usable floor area, improve daylight penetration and strengthen the visual relationship with the outdoor space. Rather than introducing a conventional rectilinear extension, the architects looked to one of the defining features of the original home: the curved barrel-shaped entrance pod. This architectural language informed the design of the extension and ultimately led to the creation of a large curved glass window that would become its focal point.

Designing a Frameless Curved Window in Essex

The defining feature of the extension is a bespoke curved structural glass window positioned at the rear of the property. The glazing was designed as a single curved insulated glass unit, allowing the architects to achieve a smooth, uninterrupted curved elevation without visible joints or segmentation.

Using a single curved insulated glass unit was critical to achieving the architectural vision for the extension. The bespoke curved glazing creates a smooth, uninterrupted elevation without visible joints, allowing the curved form to remain the dominant visual feature of the design. The result is a frameless curved window that maximises views of the garden while maintaining the clean geometry that defines the extension.

To maintain a clean appearance, the curved glazing was fixed using the Invisio thermally broken structural glazing system. The aluminium profiles were concealed behind the external timber cladding and fixed back into the insulated wall structure using non?loadbearing fixing straps. This allowed the curved glass to appear almost frameless when viewed externally, reinforcing the elegant simplicity of the extension.

Bringing Natural Light Through a Frameless Rooflight

Alongside the curved glazing, IQ Glass installed a full-length frameless rooflight that spans the new extension and former link space between the house and garage. One of the key objectives of the renovation was to improve daylight levels throughout the previously enclosed spaces, and the rooflight plays a central role in achieving this.

The structural glass rooflight extends for more than six metres, drawing natural light deep into the kitchen and circulation spaces below. The internal plaster finish was carefully detailed with subtle curved edges to create the impression of softened corners, echoing the wider design language found throughout the project.

To support year-round comfort, the rooflight was specified with solar control glass providing a light transmission of approximately 70% while maintaining a g-value of 0.35. This balance allows generous levels of daylight while helping to manage solar gain within the extension.

a strip rooflight with a curved edge, a close up image from the underside of a frameless rooflight
a slim framed door shown open and closed

A Contemporary Interpretation of Mid-Century Design

The extension demonstrates how specialist glazing can help modernise a period property without losing its identity. Curved forms continue throughout the completed interior, appearing in the kitchen island, worktops and joinery, creating a strong relationship between architecture, glazing and interior design.

By using bespoke curved glazing and frameless roof glazing rather than standard rectangular openings, the project celebrates the mid-century origins of the house while introducing contemporary functionality. The result is a family home that feels significantly brighter, more spacious and more connected to its surroundings, while remaining true to the character of the wider Tor Bryan estate.

Technical Details 

  • Bespoke curved structural glass window forming the primary glazed element of the extension 
  • Curved insulated glass unit measuring approximately 3.2m arc length x 1.4m high 
  • Single curved glass panel weighing approximately 129kg 
  • Curved insulated glass unit was manufactured to a 2.4m radius.  
  • Curved glazing fixed using the Invisio thermally broken structural glazing system 
  • Frameless appearance achieved by concealing framing behind external timber cladding 
  • Curved glass unit double glazed using 6mm toughened glass with argon gas filling 
  • Curved glazing achieving a Ug value of 1.0 W/m²K 
  • Frameless structural glass rooflight measuring approximately 6.5m long x 1.0m wide 
  • Rooflight formed from three structural glass panels with a 5° fall 
  • Rooflight specified with approximately 70% light transmission and g-value 0.35 
  • Rooflight fixed using thermally broken Invisio structural glazing profiles 
  • All visible framing finished in PPC RAL 9005 Matt 
  • Entire glazing structure engineered to withstand wind loads of approximately 0.8 kN/m² 
  • All glazing units heat soak tested for safety and durability 

 

Begin Your Frameless Curved Window in Essex Project

For architects, developers and homeowners considering a frameless curved window in Essex, Tor Bryan demonstrates how bespoke glazing can become the defining architectural feature of a project. The combination of curved structural glass, thermally broken fixing systems and frameless roof glazing shows how complex forms can be delivered without compromising performance or visual simplicity.

IQ Glass works with architects and design teams from the earliest stages of a project, providing technical guidance, bespoke engineering and specialist manufacturing expertise for curved glazing installations. Contact our team to discuss your project requirements and explore glazing solutions tailored to your design ambitions.

a close up image of the outside of a curved frameless window showing the connecting between the curved glass and the timber cladding
an up close detailed image of the connection between a curved frameless window with timber cladding
a close up shot of a curved frameless window in a timber clad window opening
an internal view of a frameless curved window, showing a close up view of the frameless glass interface with the internal plaster

Associated Products

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Frameless Windows

Frameless picture windows are the perfect solution for achieving a minimalist design that maximises visibility

Roof Glazing

Rooflights and roof glazing can be built with or without a frame, based on the project's design specifications.

Strip Rooflights

Strip Rooflight

Using structural glass to create long runs of glass, connected together with silicone joints.

a frameless rooflight over an extension in London

Thermally Broken Rooflights

Thermally broken rooflights have insulation between the inner and outer frames, reducing heat loss and preventing condensation, while allowing natural light into a building.

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.

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