Yew Tree House is a sleek glass extension to a listed building, set within a conservation area. This glazed extension houses a new kitchen and dining area as part of the renovation and modernisation of a grade II listed home. Frameless structural glass creates the two glass walls of the extension with a slim sliding door in one elevation and an integrated black framed pivoting door in the other.
Products Used
Featured In
Project Partners
Eastabrook Architects
Tuckey Design Studio
Location
Conservation Area
Planning Constraints & Heritage Considerations
The existing building was a 17th century stone structure with poor connections to the garden. Various additions had been added to the rear of the property and the homeowners were looking to replace these volumes while improving connections to the garden.
The building's location within a conservation area, as well as its Grade II listed status, provided many challenges for the architect when proposing the design to the local planning authority for approval. The key concerns and requirements of the new glass extension were to create a contemporary feel without detracting from the beauty of the existing building and to be a lightweight structure that 'touched the house lightly' in a way that protected the design of the original building.
As the homeowner was also a landscape architect, good visual connections to the surrounding gardens and landscapes were also key design criteria.
Planning approval for the glass extension to the listed building was provided on the basis that the extension be 'transparent' and that the original walls of the listed cottage be seen behind the glazing.
Integration With Listed Stonework
IQ Glass was contracted to design and install the bespoke glass extension to the listed building, ensuring that all detailing was lightweight and sensitive to the existing structure. The design incorporated a frameless structural glass system, creating floor‑to‑ceiling elevations of uninterrupted glazing to meet the planning requirement for a fully transparent addition.
As the glass extension served as the transition space between the house and garden, doors needed to be integrated without compromising the minimal, frameless aesthetic. IQ Glass designed, manufactured, and installed a bespoke pivot door with a flush glazed finish. This door was expertly detailed and installed so that the outer face of the glass aligned perfectly with the surrounding frameless glass walls.
At the corner of the extension, the two glass elevations meet with a frameless, glass‑to‑glass junction, requiring no visible framing.
Integrating Sliding Doors into Glass Extensions
On the opposite elevation, a slim‑framed sliding door was incorporated into the glass wall, allowing the space to open fully to the garden during the summer months. The thermally broken aluminium system provided sightlines that complemented the structural glass and merged seamlessly into the elevation. This glazed wall meets the existing stone façade in a frameless junction, visually connecting old and new while minimising the perception of the added structure.
To maintain a lightweight appearance, the glass units forming the exterior walls were elongated to step over the solid roof structure. The inner face of this section was back‑painted to conceal the roof, allowing the decorative glass finish to blend seamlessly with the vertical glass elevations and creating the appearance of a continuous glass envelope.
Frameless Glass Detailing
As the extension faces north, the risk of overheating from solar gain was minimal. All glazing was specified as double‑glazed units with a low‑E coating and argon gas fill, providing excellent thermal comfort within the new kitchen and dining space.
Due to the listed status of the building, clarity of the glass and the precision of the junctions between the new glazing and the historic stonework were critical design considerations.
Bespoke metal channels and fixing details were set into the stonework to create a completely frameless connection between the extension and the existing building.
Technical Detail
- The glass extension measures 5m x 4.7m with a height of 2.7m.
- Internal ceiling height: 2.2m
- The integrated sliding door is a thermally broken aluminium system with bonded glass and a 21mm frame.
- The sliding panel measures 1.9m wide and features a two‑point thrust‑lever locking system.
- The integrated pivot door is a thermally broken aluminium system with externally bonded glass for a flush glazed finish.
- The flush glazed pivot door measures 0.9m wide with 60mm sightlines.
- All back‑painting and framework were finished in RAL 9005 (Jet Black).
- All glazing is double‑glazed with low‑E coatings and argon gas filling, with varying glass thicknesses for the structural glass, slim sliding door, and pivot door.
Yew Tree House is an excellent example of how a glass extension can be successfully added to a listed building. It offers inspiration and practical guidance for anyone looking to design or specify a similar contemporary addition. This project highlights how contemporary glazing systems can be sensitively integrated with heritage buildings, meeting conservation requirements while improving natural light and visual connections.
The architects consulted IQ Glass early in their planning process to understand what was technically achievable with a frameless glass structure and to ensure they had the correct technical information for a successful application.
This project is relevant for architects, planners, and homeowners working with listed buildings. If you are considering a similar project, we recommend speaking with IQ Glass at the earliest design stage to obtain technical specifications, fixing strategies, and initial cost guidance.
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